The Vine News

More than a thousand protesters from churches, synagogues, and mosques in Maryland filled Lawyers Mall in Annapolis Monday night to protest the Same Sex Marriage Bill sponsored by Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley that is now winding its way through the Maryland legislature.

The Maryland Marriage Alliance organized the event that saw busloads of people from all over the state emptying out into the courtyard between the State House and the Governor's mansion to oppose the bill.

Several speakers, including prominent pastors, state delegates and state senators, spoke to rally the crowd and express their opposition, not only to the bill, but also to reject being called cowards by first lady Catherine Curran O'Malley, who is also a District Court judge in Baltimore. While Mrs. O'Malley said later that she regretted the remark, many of the evening's speakers played on her words, saying the members of the crowd "courageous" and "not cowards."

Between speeches, protesters filled the night air with chants of "Kill this bill!" and "Do your job," especially after Senator and Minister C. Anthony Muse detailed a list of measures to create jobs, educate students and protect communities that, he said, should have the governor's attention.

Last year, the bill to legalize same sex marriage was effectively killed when the legislature could not garner enough votes to pass it, largely due to the stand led by the Maryland Marriage Alliance, a broad-based coalition of churches, synagogues and religious organizations. Although re-written this year, with what the governor calls "religious exemptions," the bill was still several votes short in the House of Delegates at the opening of the legislative session.

Senate committee hearings on portions of the bill will begin this week.