Poll: Should Maryland Legalize Same-Sex Marriage?

Gov. Martin O’Malley introduced legislation this week that would make same-sex marriage legal in Maryland.

Same-sex marriage was debated in Annapolis last year, but it ended up in the House of Delegates.

This year, O’Malley said “momentum is growing” for same-sex marriage in Maryland, with labor organizations AFL-CIO and SEIU 1199 offering endorsements this month.

Washington, D.C., and six other states have laws allowing same-sex marriage, according to the Baltimore Sun.

“Other states have found a way to do this.  We can find a way to do this, too,” O’Malley said during a press conference Tuesday morning, which was posted on YouTube.

Faith-based organizations, including the Maryland Catholic Conference of Roman Catholics and the Maryland Marriage Alliance, are among those that have mobilized to oppose the legislation.

The Maryland Marriage Alliance is sponsoring a rally in Annapolis at 6 p.m. Jan. 30 entitled “Rally for Marriage!” regarding the proposal. Marylanders for Marriage Equality, a group that supports same-sex marriage, is organizing phone banking sessions on the issue.

Marylanders as a whole continue to be split on the issue. According to a poll by Gonzales Research & Marketing released this month, nearly 49 percent surveyed support a law allowing same-sex marriage, while 47 percent oppose it.

Weigh in below or in our Patch poll. Do you support same-sex marriage in Maryland?