Black voices for marriage equality in Maryland

Capehart:
The effort to approve marriage equality got a big boost last week when the Baltimore Sun poll showed 49 percent of Marylanders supported making same-sex marriage legal. But the even bigger news was in the level of African American support for Question 6.

According to the Sun, “there's been a dramatic shift in the attitudes of black voters.” The paper found that “more than half of likely black voters favor legalizing same-sex marriage, compared with a quarter who are opposed.” This is huge in a state where black voters are thought to be a quarter of all Maryland voters.

No doubt President Obama’s evolution on the issue of marriage equality helped move hearts and minds in the state where he enjoys a 57 percent approval rating, according to that Sun poll. But there are other African Americans voicing their support for the Religious Freedom and Civil Marriage Protection Act.