DELEGATE HOLMES IN THE NEWS

Prince George's UUs continue crusade for marriage equality in Maryland

Examiner.com on December 2, 2011
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Marvin E. Holmes is sitting on the fence when it comes to gay marriage in Maryland.

Activists who met at the Paint Branch Unitarian Universalist Church in Adelphi Tuesday want him to say yes to gay marriage bill when it comes before the Maryland General Assembly in January  2012.  Holmes is a house delegate representing district 23rd in Prince George's County.

Unitarian Universalists are an affirming and welcoming “church” where people from different religious backgrounds or no religion get together on the basis of shared values. They firmly advocate civil liberties and equal rights for all humans.

“He can go either way,” John Holbrook, who is straight but is passionate to get the same-sex rights for gays told this scribe Wednesday evening. So Holbrook was on the phone Tuesday calling Holmes' constituents to convince him to do the right thing.

“A gay doctor saved my life,” said Holbrook, who is a U.U. and straight, but preferred not to divulge details.

Paint Branch U.U. Marge Owens said the phone bank was aimed at supporters of marriage equality in Prince George's county. “We were asking them to phone the office of their undecided Delegate and ask him/her to vote affirmatively,” she said.

David Turley, who works for the Human Rights Campaign, was present at the church to talk about the issue and impart training on the phone bank.

Turley is part of the Marylanders for Marriage Equality coalition, which was launched in July.

Maryland senate last year passed the marriage equality into law 25 against 22, but the law got stalled in the house of delegates. “The bill did not go through as it fell shy of a few votes in the house of delegates,” said Holbrook.

A major challenge is at least half dozen closeted gay lawmakers in conservative counties of the predominantly Catholic “Free State.”

According to house delegate Doyle E. Neimann, a Unitarian Universalist, the Maryland general assembly is most likely to pass the marriage equality into law next year as the Governor Martin O'Malley has thrown his weight behind it.

But Neimann expressed his unhappiness that the right-wing intends to put the law for a referendum even after Maryland adopts marriage equality.

The phone bank will again meet at the Paint Branch Unitarian Universalist Church on December 6 and December 14 at 6 p.m. and at the Bowie U.U. Church next week