Gay Unions Fracture MD's Black Caucus

[MountainLaurel]

Maryland's African American lawmakers are deeply divided in the emerging debate over same-sex marriage, which forces them to balance their communities' bedrock religious convictions against a traditional commitment to civil rights.

In the short time since a Baltimore circuit court declared the state's ban on same-sex marriage unconstitutional, black Democrats in the General Assembly have reached consensus only on one thing: They don't want the matter put to a vote.

"We've been discussing it ever since the court issued its opinion," said Del. Joanne C. Benson (D-Prince George's). "There is a split. And no easy way to resolve it."

Consider Sens. Ulysses Currie and Gwendolyn T. Britt. Both are Democrats who represent progressive African American districts in Prince George's County. But they are on opposite extremes of a gulf that divides their communities.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/01/27/AR2006012701477.html

[yankeedem]

1. That article isn't too biased, is it

"Bedrock religious convictions"

I've been seeing more and more that people want their religious convictions to merge with public policy.
They really shouldn't. No gay marriage law forces anyone or any church to enter or perform a same sex marriage.

Maybe they are afraid that gay marriage will make them gay, but I am living proof that is not true, I drove through Massachusetts TWICE in the past year, and I'm quite sure I even talked to some gay people, but never did I once consider divorcing my wife to marry anyone there.

No, you can't "get the gay" just from gay marriage in your state. I wish people would grow up.

[McCamy Taylor]

2. Katrina will undo whatever "no gay marriage" has done.