Maryland Governor O’Malley To Sign Same Sex Marriage Bill Into Law Thursday, Majority Of Iowans Polled Oppose Ban On Same Sex Marriage, Omaha Nebraska City Council To Once Again Debate Ordinance Banning Employment Discrimination Based On Sexual Orientation And Gender Identity,Transgender Woman Leads Effort To Add Sexual Orientation And Gender Identity To Salinas Kansas List Of Protected Classes From Employment And Housing Discrimination

Maryland's governor plans to sign a bill making same sex marriage legal later this week, his office said on Monday, while opponents were making plans to challenge the new law at the ballot box. Reuters reports the legislation, making Maryland the eighth state in the nation to legalize gay and lesbian nuptials, heads to Governor Martin O'Malley's desk for his signature at a ceremony at 5:00 pm on Thursday, his office said. The Democratic governor has supported the measure and promised to sign it once it was passed by lawmakers. The state Senate voted in favour of the bill last week after it was passed by the state's lower House of Delegates. While still controversial, same sex marriage has been gaining acceptance nationally in recent weeks as Washington state legislators voted to allow gay marriage and the New Jersey legislature passed a gay marriage law through both houses, although it was vetoed by Governor Chris Christie. An appeals court has also overturned California's ban on gay marriage, enacted through a 2008 ballot initiative. Same sex couples can marry in the District of Columbia and in six states -- Massachusetts, Iowa, Vermont, New Hampshire, Connecticut and New York. Washington state will join the list in June unless opponents stop it ahead of a possible ballot initiative. Opponents of same sex marriage in Maryland were working to get a referendum seeking to repeal the law on the ballot in November. "The citizens of the state, since it's such a weighty issue, should have a final say," Republican Delegate Tony O'Donnell, the House minority leader who opposed the bill, said on Monday. "All polling data shows that the state is closely divided on this issue," O'Donnell said. The Senate passed the bill 25 to 22; the House approved it 72 to 67. Asked about the push for a referendum, the governor's spokesperson Takirra Winfield said the effort was not unexpected. "The governor has faith in the people of our state," she said, adding that the governor believed voters will "seek to take the best action that will protect equality for all." Opponents would need nearly 56,000 signatures to get the measure on the ballot, according to the Maryland State Board of Elections. They would need to submit a third of those signatures by May 31 and the remainder by June 30 to get the measure on the November ballot.

A majority of Iowans oppose passage of a state constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage, a new Des Moines Register Iowa Poll shows. The poll found that 38-percent favour a legislative initiative to pass a constitutional amendment, while 56-percent are against. 6-percent are not sure. The findings show little movement on the issue from February 2011, when 40-percent of those surveyed supported passing an amendment, while 54-percent were opposed. Ben Tuttle, 26, of Ames, an airport worker who refuels airplanes, said his reasoning for opposing the amendment is simple: “Equality for all.” Lou O’Brien, 50, of Ankeny, a payroll supervisor and a self-described swing voter, embraces a contrasting view. “I believe in the original family unit,” she said. “That is the way I was brought up.” Age makes a difference, although support for a constitutional ban fails to reach a majority in any age group. 34-percent of Iowans under 35 support a ban. Among Iowans 55 and older, the figure rises to 43-percent. Political affiliation makes a difference, too. 64-percent of Republicans favour a ban, but just 35-percent of independents and 15-percent of Democrats. GOP candidates frequently say they believe marriage should be restricted to one man and one woman. Many Democrats see marriage for gays and lesbians as a civil rights matter. The poll, which surveyed 800 adults February 12-15, has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points. Same sex marriage became one of the hottest political issues in Iowa after the state Supreme Court unanimously ruled same sex marriage legal in April 2009. Interest spiked again in November 2010, when voters ousted three of the justices who were on the ballot as part of the state’s judicial retention elections. The issue has faded somewhat in prominence this legislative session as the proposed constitutional amendment remains road-blocked in the Senate. The proposed amendment, which would authorize a state-wide referendum, was approved in the Republican-controlled Iowa House last year. But Democratic leader Michael Gronstal has blocked it from consideration in the Senate. The issue must be passed by two successive General Assemblies to be placed on the ballot. “As long as people are denied their right to vote, it will be an issue,” said Danny Carroll of Grinnell, a lobbyist for the Family Leader, which supports traditional marriage. But Sen. Matt McCoy (D-Des Moines), the Legislature’s only openly gay member, said he senses Iowans have become more accepting of same sex marriage since the 2009 court decision.“I think most Iowans recognize that this issue has very little to do with them and their lives, and it certainly doesn’t impact their marriages or the way they live their lives. It is really more about allowing people to be able to commit to people they love,” McCoy said. Calla Rongerude, interim executive director of One Iowa, the state’s largest advocacy group for gays and lesbians, said the poll numbers “send a strong and clear message to the Legislature that the majority of Iowans oppose a harmful ban of the freedom to marry for gay and lesbian couples. These numbers speak volumes, and we call on our legislators to fulfill their promises of focusing on the issues that matter most to Iowans — creating jobs and improving education.” On a separate Iowa Poll question, 30-percent of Iowans say they favour the 2009 Supreme Court ruling allowing same-sex marriage, while 36-percent are opposed. 33-percent say they don’t care much either way, while 1-percent are not sure. That’s similar to a year ago, when 32-percent favoured the decision, while 37-percent were opposed and 30-percent didn’t care much. J. Ann Selzer, president of Selzer and Co., which conducts the Iowa Poll, said the responses to the questions about a constitutional amendment and the high court ruling is not necessarily inconsistent. Among Iowans who favour what the Supreme Court did, 94-percent oppose a constitutional amendment. Among those who oppose what the court did, 82-percent favour an amendment. In the middle are people who don’t care much about what the Supreme Court did, and they oppose a marriage amendment by 3-1, she said. The proposed constitutional amendment will likely become a hot topic in some Iowa legislative races this fall, Republican lawmakers say. In addition, political insiders predict Iowa Supreme Court Justice David Wiggins, who supported the ruling, will be targeted for removal at the ballot box in November. “I think it is unfortunate when you go after the court because of their decision. But at the same time, that is the frustration of people feeling that the courts are overstepping their bounds,” said Stephen Roberts, a Des Moines lawyer who served 20 years on the Republican National Committee. Wiggins, through an Iowa Supreme Court spokesperson, said it would be inappropriate to comment at this time. Voters in all 31 states where the marriage issue has been placed on the ballot have affirmed their support for one-man, one-woman marriage, and Carroll said he doesn’t believe a state-wide referendum in Iowa would be any different. Minnesota voters in November will consider a constitutional amendment to prohibit gay marriage. Senate Republican Leader Jerry Behn of Boone said, “We think the people should decide, not you and me. Then it won’t be influenced by anything else. It will be the people.” But Senator Jeff Danielson (D-Cedar Falls), chairman of the Iowa Senate State Government Committee, said he sees no chance the constitutional amendment will be considered this session. “No, I do not,” Danielson said. “It is not the will of state government to write discrimination into the constitution.”

A divisive debate about protection in the workplace took center stage inside Omaha Nebraska’s City Hall this week. City Councilman Ben Gray will take a second attempt at banning discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. The plan failed in 2010. This time, supporters said they're more organized. According to KETV, the idea's chief supporter, Equal Omaha, will hold a news conference on Tuesday about the ordinance that will include Omaha residents and businesspeople. Hundreds of people watched a new video online Monday about what producers called "equal rights at work." Discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity is an issue some say is costing Omaha. College senior Melissa Amstutz said she's thinking about leaving her hometown after graduation. She said that discrimination "has really affected my job search, and I know the outcome will affect my job search," and that those who are gay and transgender lack protection while at work in Nebraska. "I vowed that this time I'd do something to help pass it," Amstutz said. That vow led to a video posted on vimeo.com, enlisting artists, educators and non-profit professionals voicing their opinions on the issue in Omaha. The support came just after the University of Nebraska Medical University released a local survey saying the problem is real for hundreds of people in Omaha, reporting discrimination and depression over how they're treated at work. Supporters said the issue affects everyone, even Omaha's future generations. They said they hope the second time around, the discrimination debate ends differently. A key point in that project, organizers said, is that nearly every person participating in the project is straight. The issue divided Omaha's City Council the last time around. One of its current opponents, Jean Stothert, said her resolution encouraging acceptance is a better way to work with businesses. They will have their first look at Gray's ordinance Tuesday.

Despite being born in a boy's body, Steven Mott knew from the age of 6 that he was actually a woman on the inside, but assumed the role he thought he had to survive. "Imagine entering into a play and assuming the role of character, not yourself," Mott told about 30 people Sunday afternoon in the Prescott Room of Salina Public Library. "You play the role all day long when on the stage and in front of people and, at the end of the day, you come out of the role, become yourself and then go to bed." Mott said the "play" continued until he was a homeless 48-year-old alcoholic man in Pueblo, Colo. It was after alcohol treatment and therapy in Topeka that Steven started down the road to becoming Stephanie, the woman he always knew he was. "I don't think I am a woman," Mott said. "I am a woman. I have a woman's brain. It is my gender identity." Mott spoke to members of the public about her experience as a transgendered woman in Kansas. The Associated Press reports Mott, chairwoman of the Kansas Equality Coalition, is backing a proposal to add sexual orientation and gender identity to protected classes to the city's equality ordinance. The proposed change would add sexual orientation and gender identity to a list of classes protected from discrimination. The list includes race, sex, familial status, disability, religion, age, color, national origin and ancestry. Mott said the change would protect people from being fired or evicted in Salina based on sexual orientation and gender identity. The crowd featured proponents and opponents of the change, but some people came to just ask questions and observe. Mott said she wanted to give people the chance to talk with someone who has gone through the struggles of being transgender in Kansas. "We know people don't know what it is like to be transgender," Mott said before the meeting. "They don't understand what it is like to make the journey and why someone would do something like this. It is simple for me: live as a woman or die a man." While taking questions from the audience after telling her story, one person asked whether there is evidence of discrimination in Salina. Mott said the city doesn't keep records about people not protected by their ordinances. Gary Martens, chairman of the North Central chapter of the Kansas Equality Coalition, said several area people have approached the group about their experiences of discrimination in Salina. "People are afraid of retaliation against themselves and maybe against their family if they speak up," Martens said. "While I can't say there is a list of people, I can say people have come forward to talk to us about this." While the city doesn't have a record of instances of discrimination against transgender, gays and bisexuals, Mott said it doesn't mean there is no discrimination. "Look at the people fighting for the right to discriminate," Mott said. "They say 'we love you, but we would like the right not to hire you.' “Rod Franz, Salina's city finance director, said the Federal Bureau of Investigation has determined Salina has "three times the national average of hate crimes." He said the FBI tracks hate crimes against everyone except transgendered people. Cheryl Harp, of Salina, spoke out at the meeting about how she was discriminated against by her boss because of her age and being "too friendly." Mott told her she was protected by the current ordinance because of her age and sex. Harp spoke at two prior meetings against the ordinance. She doesn't feel there is a need for the protections. Mott said the changes to the ordinance would protect everyone in Salina. "These are not special rights, these are equal rights," Mott said before the meeting. "People say this is about special rights, but it is not because everybody else already has them. Giving something that everybody else has is not a special right, it is an equal right." When asked by Harp whether she had a penis or had had surgery to become a woman, Mott said she is scheduled for surgery in May. When asked by Harp which bathroom she uses, Mott said the women's. "I would be scared about going into the men's bathroom as a woman. I'd be afraid of being assaulted or laughed out," Mott said. One woman in the crowd said she wouldn't notice Mott was transgender if she encountered her in the bathroom. Mott said she is always nervous when in a public bathroom, but feels she is in the right place as a woman. "We are defined by who we are inside, not what is on the outside or our genitalia," Mott said. "It is the same as someone from a different ethnicity. What is out here doesn't matter. The only place where we decide who someone is, is on the inside. We can't change that. I will always be a woman. I am just bringing my body into alignment with who I am."