BREAKING: Marriage Equality Wins in Maryland

Cause for celebration!

Maryland made history tonight by joining Maine to become the first states to uphold marriage equality by popular vote. The marriage equality referendum, known as Question 6, passed by 51%.

The law was passed by the Maryland legislature and signed by Governor Martin O’Malley. Anti-LGBT activists gathered enough signatures to force a referendum. In the months that followed we have listened to faith leaders, advocates, political leaders, and supporters of all backgrounds come out in support of marriage equality. Many told their own personal stories and shared their lives in a very public way.

The marriage equality campaign, Marylanders for Marriage, declared victory just after midnight. “Fairness and equality under the law won tonight,” said Josh Levin, campaign manager for Marylanders for Marriage Equality. “We’re sure to feel the ripples of this monumental victory across the country for years to come.”

"Voters in Maine and Maryland have shown that full equality for gay and lesbian people is no longer a partisan issue but an issue of human dignity," said GLAAD President Herndon Graddick. "The claims made by anti-gay activists that voters would never embrace marriage for gay and lesbian couples could not be further from the truth. Across lines of politics, race, religion and gender, voters in Maryland and Maine today demonstrated that marriage equality is the becoming a real part of American history."

Reporters and pundits constantly speculated that marriage equality might fail because of Maryland's demographics, namely Catholics and African-Americans. The anti-gay industry banked their strategy on driving a wedge between the African-American community and the LGBT community. But none of that worked. This vote for equality demonstrates that support for LGBT people crosses many lines of difference, including race and religion.

GLAAD cheers with the people of Maryland! For more voting information, go to www.glaad.org/vote.