Testify

This afternoon a Harford County Green delivered the following testimony to the Maryland House Judiciary Committee in support of HB 351, the Religious Freedom and Civil Marriage Protection Act. The act would specify that any two people, regardless of gender, who were otherwise eligible to be married would be allowed to do so.

The bill needs to be given a favorable recommendation by the Judiciary Committee to go forward for a vote by the House. Please call the members of the House Judiciary Committee, particularly Susan McComas of Bel Air (410-836-9449 or 410-841-3289) and ask them to recommend HB 351.

Testimony and Statement for the Record
In support of the Religious Freedom and Civil Marriage Protection Act (HB 351)
Submitted by Shanna Borell on behalf of the Maryland Green Party
Before the House Judiciary Committee
February 28, 2008

My name is Shanna Borell. I am the Harford County delegate to the Maryland Green Party’s Coordinating Council. I am a graduate student at the University of Maryland, School of Social Work. And I am the daughter of a lesbian.

I support this bill because I support families. Discriminating against certain families because the parents of that family happen to be the same sex is unfair and unjust. All families deserve the same legal protections regardless of the sex of the parents.

We provide the benefits of marriage because we recognize how these benefits strengthen couples and families. If we are serious about protecting families in this state, we need to take seriously the danger and insecurity to which we expose children when we deny them the rights provided by a civil marriage. Some of these rights include child custody rights, hospital visitation rights, and the right to be legally recognized as a family or couple.

Moreover, allowing same-sex couples to marry in no way affects heterosexual couples. This bill serves to make marriage more inclusive so that devoted, loving couples can secure the same rights as heterosexual couples. It also helps all parents provide a safer, more stable environment for their children.

I am lucky because I never had to experience any number of things children might have to go through on account of their parents not being legally married. I was never threatened to be taken away from my family because it was not recognized as a legal entity, but some children do.
And I have had to watch my mother go without health insurance because she could not get insurance through her long-time partner. I have had to watch her worry that she might not be able to visit her partner in the hospital or be allowed to help make medical decisions if she gets very sick. And why? Because some people may not like her choice in partner? Doesn’t my family deserve the same respect and dignity as other families?

The issue of protecting families is paramount. It is essential that Maryland help promote strong families regardless of the sex of the parents by making marriage an option to same-sex couples. Even as a social work student just starting out in this field, I know how important these rights and benefits are to families. Everyday I see how vulnerable children and couples can be when denied these rights.

In accordance with its key values of respects for diversity and social justice, the Maryland Green Party strongly supports the rights of gays and lesbians in its party platform. The Maryland Green Party views the right to marry as a civil rights issue and believes that denying same-sex couples that right goes against the American principles of equality and justice.

How can Maryland justify the creation of a second-class citizenry on the basis of sexual orientation? It is time that Maryland takes a stand on this important issue and ends marriage discrimination.

Support the Religious Freedom and Civil Marriage Protection Act (HB 351) to protect and strengthen Maryland’s couples and families, providing more stable futures for our children.