Maryland OKs gay marriage

BELTSVILLE, Md. -- Maryland became the eighth state to legalize gay marriage yesterday, as opponents were already several days into an effort to rally voters to reverse the change this fall. The push will rely heavily on members of black churches.

Many African-American church leaders oppose gay marriage in a liberal-leaning state that's nearly one-third black, and President Barack Obama's re-election campaign is expected to drive many of their congregants to the polls. Opponents submitted draft language for a ballot referendum to overturn the measure just after it passed the State Legislature last week.

Gov. Martin O'Malley signed the bill into law yesterday, and it takes effect next January.

"Religious freedom was the very reason for our state's founding and at the heart of religious freedom is the freedom of individual conscience," O'Malley said just before adding his signature to the legislation.

Over the weekend, some pastors at predominantly black churches were already using their sermons to shop the referendum effort to their congregations. The Catholic Church, which has 1.2 million parishioners in Maryland, has also openly opposed the bill.

A Sunday service at the Hope Christian Church in Beltsville was filled with murmurs of agreement as a spokeswoman for the Maryland Marriage Alliance rallied the mostly black congregation against the law.

"We will have the last say on how marriage will be defined in Maryland," spokeswoman Dee Powell shouted repeatedly to the audience of several hundred.

Some churchgoers said they are bound by their faith to vote against gay marriage.

"It's a personal value and opinion. It has nothing to do with President Barack Obama," said DeBorah Martinez, 54, who has attended Hope Christian for three years.