With the Nov. 6 election just a couple weeks away, all eyes are on the race for the White House. LGBTs should undoubtedly have a vested interest in presidential politics — as the top candidate could make a world of difference, good or bad, for LGBT rights in the next four years and beyond — but they also should lend their time and attention to a lesser-known fight that could prove vitally important in the national LGBT-rights movement.
Next month, voters in Maryland will head to the polls to cast their votes on whether the state should sanction marriage equality. The legislature in the hopefully aptly named “Free State” earlier this year approved a marriage-equality measure, which the governor signed, but anti-equality activists secured enough signatures to place the issue on the ballot.
In the past 14 years, similar ballot initiatives, both regarding marriage laws and constitutional amendments, have been raised 32 times — and 32 times voters have defeated marriage equality. Maryland is one of four states next month, however, that has a chance to come down on the right side of history. Voters in Maine and Washington will also vote on a same-sex marriage law, and Minnesotans will be asked about a constitutional amendment banning marriage equality.
If any of these states makes LGBT history, the implications could be far-reaching. No longer could opponents trumpet out the, “We have won in every state where voters have been given a say” card. Not only would it open up full marriage rights for another region of gays and lesbians, it would fuel momentum for other states to follow suit in the coming years, especially if the nation is granted another four years under a president who now favors marriage equality. While Pennsylvanians should be realistic that our state’s adoption of marriage equality will likely not take place any time soon, the greater the number of nearby states who do so, the greater the argument for equality in the Keystone State.
So what can locals do to push forward marriage equality in Maryland? Spread the word. While Pennsylvanians can’t actually vote for or against the referendum on Election Day, they can make sure their family, friends and even strangers understand the importance of casting a vote for marriage equality. Many Marylanders may not feel motivated enough to find time to make it to the polls Nov. 6, and that is where a personal connection to the issue can be important. If they hear from LGBT family and friends — or even hear personal stories through phone banking or door-to-door campaigning — that could mean the difference between their conceptual support of marriage equality and their physical presence at their polling place to vote for marriage equality.
Study after study has shown that people who know someone who is LGBT are more likely to support LGBT issues. So, even if Pennsylvania’s time is far down the line, locals should lend a hand to our Southern neighbors in the next few weeks to let their stories be heard. Come Election Day, we will hopefully be celebrating a presidential re-election, and a new era in the marriage-equality fight.