Fairness could be the lasting result of a very long election night.
Maryland joined at least one other state in passing a same-sex marriage referendum while also approving educational opportunities for undocumented immigrants.
Both were on the ballot because of petition-driven referendums engineered by conservative opponents. But voters had other ideas.
“We took two giant steps tonight when we ensured marriage equality and affordable education for all Marylanders,” said Del. Heather Mizeur, D-Montgomery, an openly gay member of the state legislature.
“But our work is far from over. Renewed by these grass-roots campaigns for a more progressive state, we must continue to address inequality wherever it exists,” she said in press release.
The marriage equality measure passed here and in Maine by nearly identical percentages, 52 to 48. As of this writing, a similar referendum seemed headed for passage in Washington state, as well.
Michael Raderstorf, featured in this space on Sunday, is planning a June wedding outside Annapolis with his partner, Matthew Morris. He was elated at the Maryland vote and the presidential result.
“This means everything about the wedding will be fully legal,” he said from New York. “And (President Barack) Obama’s re-election will have a huge impact on how the country views these issues in the next decade.”
Josh Levin of Marylanders for Marriage Equality issued a statement thanking the voters: “Everyday people who took a chance, stood up for their values and stood in long lines to cast a ballot that would make a mark on history.”
Gov. Martin O’Malley rallied with voters to push a yes vote on Question 6.
“We are one Maryland, and all of us, at the end of the day, want the same thing for our children: to live in a loving, stable, committed home protected equally under the law,” O’Malley said.
On the passage of the Dream Act, which will allow undocumented students to attend Maryland colleges without paying out-of-state charges if they meet several criteria, the governor said voters “have chosen to make the dream of a college education a reality for every child.”
It was a historic night also for Kristin Ford of Education Maryland Kids, a primary backer of the Dream Act.
“We have a lot of excited students grateful Maryland voters are investing in them and who will have a chance to go to college,” she said. The vote “sent a signal about the state and our commitment to our children and our values regarding education, opportunity and fairness.”
Long after circuitous congressional district lines are again redrawn after the next census and free-for-all gambling becomes ho-hum, the enduring memory of last night’s election could well be this:
That despite some painting “others” as different, the majority of Marylanders stood up for inclusion, dignity — and fairness.
Yes we did.
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