Marlyand LGBT Activists Go For Rights One by One

As they gear up for their campaign to legalize same-sex marriage in Maryland, gay rights advocates are broadening their strategy to pursue a range of legal rights now denied gay couples.

Advocates and lawmakers say their goal is indisputably a law granting full marriage rights to same-sex couples. But as they seek such a law in the General Assembly session that starts Wednesday, they plan to also propose legislation that would give them rights to property ownership, inheritance, medical and end-of-life decisions and other benefits of marriage.

"What we decided to do is pursue a handful of bills that take care of some of the urgent needs of our families," said Carrie Evans, director of policy and planning for Equality Maryland, Maryland's leading gay rights group.

The evolution in strategy comes as advocates acknowledge that prospects for legalizing same-sex marriage have little momentum in the legislature, at least not this year. They shifted their quest for marriage rights to the General Assembly in the fall, after Maryland's highest court upheld the state's 34-year-old ban on same-sex marriage. The Court of Appeals, ruling that the ban does not discriminate against same-sex couples or deny them fundamental rights, in effect threw the issue back to the legislature.  Bill pursued to gain rights piece by piece
The Washington Post