LGBT Pride: Gay marriage.

Recently there have been huge discussions over gay marriage legalization in Maryland and New Jersey. In Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley introduced to legislation on Monday night a bill to legalize same-sex marriage. He states this bill will make religious protection a lot better, and show that religious leaders control theological doctrine, rather than the state. It also makes it so that the state cannot perform punitive actions on the churches such as denying governmental funds for not performing a same-sex marriage. The Governor said “We have done our very best in the drafting of this bill to make very, very, very explicit the protections of religious liberty as well as the protection of rights equally under the law, and it’s my hope that that will not only allow more support in the House of Delegates but, as importantly, I hope it will allow more people throughout our state to be able to support this bill"...“One does not have to be an advocate for same-sex marriage in order to support equal rights under the law.” Earlier on November 16th the Roman Catholic Bishops in Maryland sent a 16 page letter to churches throughout the state in order to organize an act on the bill as well as any others they feared threatened their religious liberty. Both sides of the debate are going hard against each other on the campaign, the opponents of the bill are planning a full day of prayer that the same-sex bill doesn't get passed, and they are devoting Sunday sermons to traditional marriage values. Supporters known as the Marylanders for Marriage Equality are planning to get their members to Annapolis, the place that the opponents of the bill are planning to rally.
This information was taken from these two sources : http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/bs-md-same-sex-bill-20120123,0,1483229.story
and
http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn?node=admin/registration/register&destination=login&nextstep=gather&application=reg30-local&applicationURL=http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/md-gov-omalley-hosts-breakfast-with-same-sex-marriage-supporters-discusses-legislation/2012/01/24/gIQABnTXNQ_story_1.html

In New Jersey, Governor Chris Christie said Tuesday he'd veto a gay marriage bill advancing in the Legislature and instead wants to put same-sex unions to a referendum. The legislature in New Jersey revived its push towards same-sex marriage again, which Christie opposes, but he supports civil unions which have been allowed since 2007. In order to override the veto in New Jersey, the people would have to have a 2/3 majority. Christie said, "I think this is not an issue that should rest solely in my hands, or the hands of the Senate President or the Speaker or the other 118 members of the legislature"..."Let's let the people of New Jersey decide what is right for the state." Gay marriage supporters want gay marriage stating that civil unions aren't enough, because many employers don't recognize them. Washington was also introduced to a bill for same-sex marriage, and Maine's gay activists plan to bring the issue to voters in a referendum. A national group advocating that marriage be between a man and woman known as The National Organization for Marriage has pledged to spend $500,000 to support legislators who oppose the measure as an "all-out effort" to defeat the bill.
Information was taken from: http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/01/24/us-newjersey-gaymarriage-idUSTRE80N2DR20120124

Right now gay marriage is legal in Connecticut, Iowa, New York, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont, and Washington D.C. The only states that recognize outside of state gay marriages are New York, and California if the marriage was before Proposition 8.