Maryland Governor O’Malley Says Words Of Compassion And Justice Are Needed In Same Sex Marriage Debate, Opponents Of Proposed Minnesota Constitutional Amendment Banning Same Sex Marriage Raise Over One Million Dollars, No One Not Even Republicans Appear To Want To Repeal New Hampshire Same Sex Marriage Law, New York Assemblyman Daniel O’Donnell Weds John Bata, The Help Wins Big At Screen Actors Guild Awards, Novak Djokovic Celebrates Epic Victory With Sweaty Shirt Tear

Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley sought to smooth over any raw feelings in Annapolis after his wife referred to opponents of gay marriage as “cowards,” saying Sunday that words of compassion, understanding and justice are needed in the debate. O’Malley, a Democrat who has made same sex marriage legislation a priority this year, closed out his remarks at the 24th National Conference on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Equality by underscoring the need for using compassionate rhetoric. The Washington Post reports that the governor said it’s important not to let passionate views prompt people to use “words of hurt, rather than words of healing,” adding, “Laws matter, but words also matter, and if compassion and understanding and justice are what we want, then we must choose laws and we must choose words of compassion, understanding and of justice.” First Lady Katie O’Malley, while giving a welcoming speech at the conference on Thursday night, said “there were some cowards that prevented it from passing” in a reference to last year’s failure of gay marriage legislation. She issued a statement Friday morning saying she regretted the comment, which was not received well by some lawmakers in Annapolis the next day. A same sex marriage bill passed the state Senate last year, but stalled in the House of Delegates. O’Malley, speaking to reporters after his speech, confirmed that his remarks were made with his wife’s comments in mind. “I love my wife very, very much, and for the last 20 years she has done the very difficult job of balancing a host of responsibilities and doing it very, very well, and none of us speak perfectly, and sometimes we make mistakes, and she’s had the humility and the strength to apologize for the mistake that she made in her choice of words,” O’Malley said. The governor also said he thinks his wife, who is a Baltimore District Court judge, feels “very badly” about the comment. Despite the controversy, the governor, who has reshaped the bill this year to more carefully address concerns about religious freedom, said he believes momentum is growing for the legislation. “I think there is a much broader coalition in support this year,” O’Malley said. “I think as we progress, more and more people appreciate that the protection of individual rights and the protection of religious freedom are intertwined, and they are part of the effort that all of us share to reflect in our laws a more perfect union.” A rally of people who oppose same sex marriage is scheduled for Monday in Annapolis. A hearing on the legislation is scheduled for Tuesday.

In Minnesota, a group leading the effort to defeat a proposed constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage has raised $1.2 million, mostly in the closing months of 2011, according a new campaign finance report. The Star Tribune reports that Minnesotans United for All Families raised the funds last year from more than 5,100 people, with some larger donations coming from wealthy and prominent Minnesotans, including James Pohlad, owner of the Minnesota Twins. "Thousands of Minnesotans are beginning conversations with friends, family and neighbours about why they need to vote no on this anti-family amendment," said Richard Carlbom, campaign manager for Minnesotans United. "It's not about the money, it's about the conversations." Minnesotans United's fundraising prowess signals that the ballot question on the marriage amendment could be the most expensive campaign in the state this year. Campaigns must file their state finance reports by Tuesday, but the Star Tribune obtained an early copy of the group's finances. A leading organization pushing for voters to pass the amendment, Minnesota for Marriage, won't release its reports until the deadline, said Chuck Darrell, a spokesman for the group. It is building a coalition of supporters around the state, including many in the religious community. "Our fundraising is going well and we will ... raise whatever it takes to get the job done," Darrell said Friday. Voters will decide the fate of the proposed amendment in November. More than two dozen states have already approved constitutional amendments banning same-sex marriage. Recent polls indicate the margin in Minnesota's vote could be razor thin either way. State law already prohibits same-sex marriage, but supporters say the amendment is necessary to prevent courts or future legislatures from allowing same-sex couples to wed. The average contribution to Minnesotans United was about $216, including giving from political groups, and 75 percent of the money came from Minnesotans. Marriage Equality Minnesota gave the group its largest single donation, $85,000. Marriage Equality Minnesota is a branch of Project 515, a founding organization behind Minnesotans United. The local political-action committee of the Human Rights Campaign -- a national organization promoting civil rights for gays, lesbians and bisexuals -- gave $174,857 through a mix of cash and in-kind assistance. Among individuals, Marilyn Carlson Nelson, chairwoman of travel giant Carlson Cos., gave $40,000, the largest single donor. Aside from Nelson, more than a dozen gave contributions of $10,000 or more. Among those were Charles Zelle, president and CEO of bus company Jefferson Lines, George Pillsbury and Bruce Dayton, the father of Gov. Mark Dayton. So far, the financial backbone of Minnesotans United has been a series of small meetings around the state, many in private homes or at churches. Ellen Eastby, of Fergus Falls, held one of the meetings last fall at her church. "I really think people need to be valued and their relationships need to be valued," said Eastby, who says she has many gay friends. "Marriage is a huge, positive value in our society, and being able to marry validates the relationship." Rick Smith, who has given a couple hundred dollars to Minnesotans United and now plans to host a house party for the cause in coming months, never thought of himself as very political. "I think, like a lot of people, I would have just sat on the sidelines," said Smith, 59, a computer security consultant in Hastings. Smith's daughter is gay and a medical student at Harvard University. She and her partner married in Massachusetts. That his daughter's union would not be recognized in Minnesota caused Smith to join the effort against the marriage amendment. "There is nothing that can strengthen a family more than letting two people who love each other get married," he said. "I know how hard it is to find a soul mate, and I can't imagine how hard it is that they can't do what is in their hearts."

The Concord Monitor, in an exhaustive report, says that while the fate of a bill repealing same sex marriage in New Hampshire remains uncertain, two facts are not in dispute: Republicans hold veto-proof majorities in the House and Senate. The state Republican Party platform defines marriage as "the legal union between one man and one woman" and opposes "all other forms of civil unions, regardless of where such unions were formed." So what's so hard about getting it done? "It is certainly disappointing to me," Senator Fenton Groen, a Rochester Republican who has been vocal in his support of the repeal, said last week. "I think that, in the House particularly, we have a significant libertarian caucus within the Republican Party. . . . And there are some Republicans who differ on that within that caucus." The 2010 elections entered a wave of Republicans from varying backgrounds, all generally united in a desire to cut spending and lower taxes. Where this group stands on the 2009 marriage law (an issue that turns on ideology and life experience) has never been as clearly defined. With lobbyists on both sides of the issue gearing up efforts to sway a House vote expected in the coming weeks - creating lists of those for and against and on the fence, urging constituents to pepper their lawmakers with phone calls and e-mails - legislators are wondering how their colleagues will finally come down on the issue. "I'm for liberty and freedom, leaving people alone so long as they don't harm or defraud other people," said Representative Steve Winter, a Newbury Republican who opposes the repeal. Winter, a 73-year-old retired airline captain, was Senate clerk under Republican former Senate president Tom Eaton from 2002 to 2006. He considers himself a "fiscal conservative and a social libertarian," adding, "I believe what people do with their lives, how they select their mates, is none of my business and none of the state's business." Representative Seth Cohn, a Canterbury Republican who moved here as part of the Free State project, a libertarian movement to relocate to New Hampshire, is also against repeal. Cohn and others believe the bill may pass the House but does not have the two-thirds majority to override a potential veto by Democratic Governor John Lynch, who signed the bill three years ago legalizing same sex marriage. "I know for a fact, based on people I've talked to, that if Gov. Lynch vetoes it, that veto is not override-able," Cohn said, adding that he plans to introduce an amendment on the House floor that would take government entirely out of marriage, instead giving all couples a civil union and leaving marriage up to churches and other religious institutions. That same approach is supported by the Republican Liberty Caucus of New Hampshire, a libertarian-leaning group that endorsed 107 House members elected in 2010.

The main sponsor of New York’s same sex marriage law married his longtime partner Sunday in Manhattan. According to The New York Daily News, Assemblyman Daniel O'Donnell and John Banta were married by Judith Kaye, the former chief justice of the state Court of Appeals. Guests included Governor Cuomo, who aggressively pushed passage of the same sex marriage bill last year. Also in attendance was O'Donnell's sister, talk show host Rosie O'Donnell, and their mother, as well as a host of state lawmakers who O’Donnell had promised to invite if they ever passed a gay marriage bill. Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver (D-Manhattan), Attorney General Eric Schneiderman and state Controller Thomas DiNapoli were also at the reception at Gustavino's on E. 59th St. During the ceremony, Kaye received laughs when she referenced O'Donnell's speech on the floor of the Assembly when he implored members to vote '"yes" because he wants to experience the same thing that most members have "two or three times. Assemblyman Joseph Lentol (D-Brooklyn) said the event was "like nothing I ever attended before," adding, "It was really elegant and tasteful. The speeches were short, but really meaningful. Everybody was just engaged and listening and clapping. The newness of having a same-sex marriage is still there for a lot of people and they loved the idea of being at this type of reception."

The Screen Actors Guild awards were held Sunday in Los Angeles, and in something of an upset, three of five film awards were bestowed on The Help, including the SAG ensemble, Viola Davis for best lead actress, and Octavia Spencer as best supporting actress. Christopher Plummer won best supporting actor for his brilliant turn in Beginners as a man who comes out late in life, and The Artist’s Jean Dugardin earned best actor. Boardwalk Empire and Modern Family were named best ensemble drama series and best ensemble comedy series respectively.

Novak Djokovic beat Rafael Nadal in what can only be described an epic battle to win the Australian Open. The five hour, and fifty-three minute match (it ended 1:37 am Monday morning in Sydney) was the longest Grand Slam final in history, and Novak celebrated by tearing his shirt and yelling something of a primal scream.