Maryland Senate Minority Leader David R. Brinkley's insensitive and incendiary comments in The Sun's article "Gay rights at standstill" (May 4) reek of a fundamental disdain for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people and families headed by same-sex couples.
I agree that most members of the general public don't rank the issue of same-sex unions as one of great importance to them because they are trying to "maintain their households," as Mr. Brinkley suggests.
Unfortunately, Mr. Brinkley seems to be blind to the household concerns of same-sex couples, even in his own district, because to him we are merely "shrieking from rooftops" without any merit to our arguments.
But we have real problems too. In fact, same-sex couples in Maryland have, on average, lower incomes, lower rates of homeownership and lower likelihood of health insurance coverage than our married counterparts.
Of course, as a state employee, Mr. Brinkley is lucky that he may carry a spouse on his health insurance. But that's not the case for state employees with partners of the same sex.
It is unlikely that Mr. Brinkley has ever worried about being shut out of the medical decision-making process for his wife or been told he couldn't accompany her in an ambulance en route to the hospital.
When Mr. Brinkley or his wife passes away, the surviving spouse will inherit tax-free the house they shared together during their marriage, unlike surviving partners in same-sex couples, who are taxed as though they are inheriting 50 percent of the home from a stranger.
Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people are as diverse as the general population: Indeed, some of us are as insensitive to the struggles of other groups as Mr. Brinkley is to ours.
But Mr. Brinkley and those who think as he does hold the power in this situation.
Until they see lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender individuals as actual human beings and not as "shrieking" people with no real problems, our families' pleas will be falling on deaf ears.
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Response #2: Hugh Silcox, Baltimore
Senate Minority Leader David R. Brinkley sees his gay and lesbian constituents as "shrieking from rooftops that they need these rights."
At least we have his attention.
Next year, maybe he'll even listen.
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Response #3: Shannon Avery, former chairwoman of Baltimore's Community Relations Commission and a former member of Gov. Martin O'Malley's transition team
As a gay rights activist, I too am disappointed in the stalled legislative efforts to achieve equality in Maryland. However, my disappointment does not flow to Gov. Martin O'Malley but rests at the front door of Equality Maryland, which is - unfortunately for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender Marylanders - the only statewide gay rights advocacy organization in Maryland.
Equality Maryland's all-or-nothing approach to the marriage issue was ill-conceived and politically imprudent. A simple head count of the legislators would have steered even a rookie lobbyist toward a strategy of backing civil unions.
The reason that many gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender Marylanders worked to elect Mr. O'Malley was clear two years ago and remains so today. The governor, who as a member of the Baltimore City Council sponsored the first domestic partnership law in Maryland, has demonstrated his support for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender equality time and time again.
After the devastating loss of the gay marriage case in the Court of Appeals in November, the governor stepped up to the plate and offered to sponsor a civil union package.
But Equality Maryland said no. It was marriage or nothing.
Now it is Equality Maryland that must take responsibility for this year's losses, and not blame the governor or any other elected official or activist who may have had a different opinion about what was possible in Maryland's legislature in 2008.
I know why I worked hard to elect Mr. O'Malley.
He cares about ending discrimination, and he is pragmatic enough to get it done.
I only wish that Maryland's leading gay rights advocacy organization could do the same thing.
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