City Council Votes 7-1 to Support O'Malley's Gay Marriage Legislation

The College Park Mayor and Council will send a letter to Maryland state legislators, expressing the city’s support for a bill that would allow same-sex couples in Maryland to be married.

Council voted 7-1 to send the letter in favor of the new Religious Freedom and Civil Marriage Protection Act, .

"I support marriage equality because everyone has the right to be happy," said Christiane Williams, one of several residents who testified at the Mayor and Council meeting, encouraging the city to support the legislation.

Two residents expressed their opposition. Larry Bleau, former president of the North College Park Citizens Association, questioned the impact that same-sex marriage legislation would have on society. He also said the city council shouldn’t take a position on the bill, because same-sex marriage is a state issue.

“If we go ahead with considerations like this, I must ask, where does it stop? What social issue would you not want put before you?” Bleau asked.

Councilman Patrick Wojahn (Dist. 1) thanked those who expressed their opinions on both sides of the issue, before sharing his own personal story.

As a gay man, Wojahn said it was very difficult growing up in the suburbs of Green Bay, WI, where community members rarely spoke about sexual orientation, and when they did, it wasn’t positive about homosexuality.

“It was very difficult. I didn’t know what kind of future I faced as a gay man. I didn’t know if I was ever going to be able to find happiness … be able to get married … have a family,” Wojahn said, adding that he had thought about “ending it all” more than once.

“I would bet there are several people in our city right now going through a similar situation,” he said, and the vote would show gays and lesbians in College Park that their community supported them.

Councilman Fazlul Kabir (Dist. 1), the dissenting vote, said he did not feel comfortable expressing any position on the issue to state legislators on behalf of the city.

“The state is not asking us to take a position on this. We don’t issue any marriage license. This bill is not in any way related to any of the services we provide,” he said. If the city wants to present a position on the bill, then the city should put it to a referendum, he said.

But Councilman Marcus Afzali (Dist. 4) said there wasn’t enough time to organize a citywide vote before the end of the legislative session.

Learn more about the , and the council made at its meeting Tuesday evening.