Maryland's First Muslim State Delegate Supports Marriage Equality

Maryland's first Muslim politician, District 39 state delegate Saqib Ali, came out in support for marriage equality recently in an op-ed for Maryland's community newspaper, the Gazette.

Proposition 8 was probably the single biggest electoral setback in the history of the gay rights movement. However Proposition 8's passage may have sown the seeds of its own demise. And I am hopeful that in the long run, it will be seen as a pyrrhic victory for opponents of equal rights.

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My stance on this issue isn't politically expedient. I am the first Muslim in the legislature. Homosexuality is strictly forbidden in Islam. As such I have evinced much grief from my most conservative supporters.

But I recognize that I represent people of all faiths and no faith at all. If I tried to enforce religion by law — as in a theocracy — I would be doing a disservice to my both constituents and to my religion.

Saqib Ali goes on to say that due to "nakedly political calculations," he believes Maryland won't see marriage equality until October 2011. In the meantime, the state's attorney general, Douglas Gansler, may interpret Maryland's law as allowing the state to recognize legal same-sex marriages performed outside its borders.

Yesterday, Ali was interviewed on NPR with Michel Martin.

What I feel is that people have elected me to not only do what is popular but to do what is right, and I think that's the real definition of a leader. If they just wanted me to do the popular thing, there would really be no point of me being there. I could just, you know, run some polls and put a finger up to the wind and vote that way. But if people always did what was popular only, we probably would never have had the Civil Rights Act in the '60s, and lots of other good ideas would not have become the law of the land. So personally, it's against my religion.

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I represent people who are of all faiths and of no faiths, and if I simply try to force my religion onto all these people and the people of Maryland, as they do in a theocracy, I would be doing a disservice to my constituents and a disservice to my religion, in fact.

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Well, to the members of the clergy and to my family members who are very upset at me, I say, look, I understand that you disagree, and if you are opposed to this, I strongly urge you not to perform same-sex marriages. If you're uncomfortable with it, do not perform them in your church, do not approve them personally, but let those people in this state who want those same rights and protections that come with civil marriage, let them have that. Because it doesn't affect my marriage, it doesn't affect anybody else's marriage, it doesn't harm us in any way.

Thank delegate Saqib Ali by contacting him and expressing your support for his stance.

AUDIO: Michael Krasny of NPR's "Forum" Hosts a Marriage Equality Ballot Discussion With California LGBT Leaders

The debate on when to return to the ballot to bring marriage equality back to California is definitely reaching its crescendo. Not only is Courage Campaign nearing its deadline for 2010 with a fundraising benchmark, but Equality California is set to release tomorrow its timetable and road map.

This morning, Michael Krasny on KQED Radio, NPR's Northern California station, discussed "Next Steps for California's Same-Sex Marriage Debate" on his show "Forum" where he took calls from listeners who weighed in on the subject. The guests were:

- Geoff Kors, executive director of Equality California, a non-profit civil rights organization that advocates for the rights of LGBT people in California
- Mark DiCamillo, director of the Field Poll
- Rick Jacobs, founder and chair of The Courage Campaign, a California-based advocacy group
- Susan Belinda Christian, co-chair of the Alice B. Toklas LGBT Democratic Club in San Francisco

It's a must listen.

UPDATE: NPR Report: Groups Seek To Shield Gay-Marriage Ban Donations

UPDATE: A federal judge denied the plaintiff's request to keep the donors' names of the anti-gay initiative, Prop 8, confidential. The state also noted that most of the activity the plaintiffs called harassment was actually protected free speech, such as threats of boycotts. See full report.



NPR has done a report on the Protect Marriage, Yes on 8 campaign and allies' push to change the California law that demands donor information be fully and publicly disclosed. Citing harassment as their main reason, they're asking a federal judge in Sacramento to rule.

Go here to read and hear the report.

Here is the court filing:

Prop 8

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