Maryland Marriage Equality: 14-Year-Old Girl Pleads With Senate Officials To Vote Against Gay Marriage On Her Birthday

Whether or not same-sex marriage will be legalized in Maryland remains to be seen, but one local girl has made her stance on the issue clear.

The girl, who identifies herself as Sarah and says she is home-schooled, told Maryland's Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee that not only was it her 14th birthday, but that it "would be the best birthday present ever if you would vote no on gay marriage."

She goes on to note, "I really feel bad for kids who have two parents of the same gender...I don't want any more kids to get confused about what's right and OK."

She concludes, "People have the choice to be gay, but I don't want to be affected by their choice."

Among those unlikely to agree with her are Gov. Martin O'Malley, who urged lawmakers in what Reuters has deemed an "unusual personal testimony" at the same event to approve marriage equality. "The very reason for our state's founding was for religious freedom. At the heart of religious freedom is respect for the freedom of individual conscience," he said. "The way forward, the way to sustain and enhance our common life together, is equal respect for the freedom of all," he said in unusual personal testimony that underscored the importance he attaches to the measure.

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Comments

[CantStopTheSignal]

07:00 PM on 03/23/2012

Well, she'll get used to disappointment. I wanted term limits for senators and representatives for my birthday, but the government has yet to deliver. Sarah and I will both just have to settle for being lucky enough to have another birthday - a fact that I thank God for every year.

[jh81]

03:37 PM on 03/19/2012

It's sad how many in this forum view immorality as 'education.'

[Theodore M Seeber]

05:45 PM on 03/09/2012

I remember when I went from being a Catholic Liberal Dissenter to a Catholic Conservative Bigot on this issue overnight; without changing one whit what I believe. You see, I believe the gays are right and the secular marriage laws of the United States are discriminatory. I also believe that there is a significant difference between a civil union and a sacramental marriage. So make all the secular households into civil unions, put religion in charge of the marriages, and let people get one, the other, both, or neither as befits their situation.

15 years ago that was a liberal position. On March 4, 2004, Multnomah County went to war with Oregon over this topic, and I became a conservative bigot.

[Mike Wendeler]

01:36 PM on 03/05/2012

I certainly hope the people on here who have threatened this girl with violence are being investigated by the authorities. I hope they are prosecuted to the full extent of the law.

[Jacob Goldberg]

06:06 PM on 03/02/2012

I love how libs claim to be "tolerant" of everybody's views, choices, and religions. Yet when someone speaks against this bill, it's "OMFG YOU'RE BIGGOT WHO SHOULD DIE!"

[MissB]

03:59 PM on 02/20/2012

Thank you, Sarah! You gave me just the motivation I needed to contact my state senator to let him know that I am one of the citizens in favor of passing this bill.
If your church does not want to marry gay couples, I understand that.
But loving couples who want to commit to each other should not be denied that right.

[Jacob Goldberg]

06:00 PM on 03/02/2012

Marriage isn't a right, it's a Holy Sacrament. What do you think the whole point of marriage is? The whole point to marry is to reproduce. No where in the constitution does it say people have the right to marry. They have the right to pursue happiness, they have the right to liberty, and they have the right to life.

I respect and like gays, but the whole issue with gay marriage is that churches will be forced to marry gay couples even though they don't want to (implies that churches can be punished if they don't.) If the people of the state say no, what the hell gives the government or another person the right to shut down the majority's decision?

Plus I hear the argument from so many liberals about this: "Why does it matter if you're gay."

Exactly! Why does it matter? If it doesn't matter, why do we need gay marriage? Once California overwhelmingly passed prop 8, the state was then sued by the ACLU. What kind of country do we live in when we can't say no to something our govt tries to shove down our throats?

Again, I have a ton of respect for gays, but this is the kind of attention that they don't need.

[CantStopTheSignal]

06:52 PM on 03/23/2012

People can reproduce without marriage. Your statement implies that if you can't reproduce, you can't get married. What about couples in which one or both are sterile? Should they not get married?

Laws allowing same-sex couples to marry don't force churches to perform those marriages. They merely legally recognize marriages performed by the churches willing to perform them and require the state to provide the opportunity for same-sex couples to be married by a justice.

I believe you've heard "Why does it matter if you're /not/ gay?" And then you go on to draw conclusion that's not supported by your own words. It doesn't matter to people who /aren't/ gay. So why do they have an opinion if it doesn't matter to them? I assure you, it most certainly does matter to those gays and lesbians who wish to marry.

Your arguments are poorly formed and poorly informed. And your last sentence is just confusing - and again, unsupported by your own words.

[MissB]

03:26 PM on 02/20/2012

So she wanted the state of Maryland to deny others rights for her "birthday present" ... good going kid, intolerance of those different than you makes great birthday cake.

[Bisi Ashley]

10:18 PM on 02/08/2012

Marriage is a hard topic to deal with. Marriage will always be linked with religion and people are going to put their religious views before their non religious views. I'm 15 and i believe that Gay marriage should be allowed in all states. I believe my views and everyone elses all have to do with your upbringing and the opinions that you are exposed to. Obviously she may have had a more religious upbringing. This is what she believes and I think she has the right to stand up for what she believes in, just as those opposed against her do. I don't agree with her views, but that is my opinion, and she has her opinon.

[NonPC3]

06:44 AM on 02/08/2012

It is good to see todays youth stand up for what is right and not fall for media propaganda and political correctness. America agrees with her. God bless her efforts.

[NonPC3]

06:29 AM on 02/08/2012

America agrees with her. It is good to see the youth of today standing up for what is right and not being manipulated by media propaganda and political correctness. God bless America. In God We Trust.

[Aleitheo]

02:56 PM on 02/07/2012

She doesn't want other people to be affected by the "choice" to be gay so she wants to make it illegal for these people to choose to get married because she feels uneasy about it?

[warmsoaps]

12:03 PM on 02/07/2012

Remember this too is a child. If there was a homosexual child on here being called names and being labeled and being charged with promoting hate, I too would come to his or her defense. It is my job as an adult.

[mookworthjwilson]

01:42 PM on 02/06/2012

Stupid kids come from stupid parents.

[zuciello]

09:27 PM on 02/07/2012

Being homeschooled does not make you"Stupid" if thats what you mean!

[mookworthjwilson]

01:47 PM on 02/08/2012

No. Being a bigot like her does.

[warmsoaps]

07:49 AM on 02/08/2012

I didn't see any sign that Sarah was insensible or slow, or that she had called any-one names, or stupid. Labeling them which amounts to belittling them. Perhaps her home school education is producing much greater results than that of the folks on here.

People who belittle others, especially children, hmmmm?

[warmsoaps]

10:36 AM on 02/06/2012

Dear Sarah

As you can see it is a cold hard and cruel world out there.marriage is an institution arranged by the God of the bible. The oldest book in history. I Corinthians 6 starting in verse 9 it reads Do not be misled. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men kept for un-natural purposes, nor men who lie with men, 10 nor thieves, nor greedy persons, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit God's Kingdom. Jude 7 reads So too Soddom and Gomorrah and the cities about them, after they in the same manner as the foregoing ones had committed fornication excessively and gone out after flesh for un-natural use, are placed before us as a warning example by undergoing the judicial punishment of everlasting fire.
Sarah God's standards have never changed. they always have and always will be the same. I feel in your young heart you are not trying to judge, but your young heart is raw and simple, you feel it is un-natural. Just remember as brought out in I corinthians 3:19For the wisdom of this worl is foolishness with God, for it is written: He catches the wise in their own cunning.

[BooBoo Bob]

02:06 PM on 02/06/2012

First off, the Oldest book in history is on display in Bulgaria's National Museum of History and it is not a Bible. Second, your religious beliefs do not trump science and homosexuality is not only displayed in humans. Third, you are not your deity's mouthpiece, no matter how much you believe otherwise and finally, your beliefs end where my nose begins. Kindly keep them out of our government. Thank you.

[warmsoaps]

12:13 PM on 02/07/2012

The God of the bible is the ultimate Scientist. as far as deity, that term is mostly used if you believe in more than 1 God, I do not. The government does not have a problem with Sarah, even they commended her whether they agreed with her or not. It seems they had knowledge and discernment. Sorry about your nose, my comments were not added to offend any-one. Sometimes humans are quick to be offended.

[guest1111]

10:13 PM on 02/07/2012

U see its people like you Bible thumpers that think homosexuality is wrong and a sin. In the bible its says "nobody can judge except god". You are not at any liberty to say whats a sin and whats not or whats acceptable or whats not. It is not your life or your right to say who can get married and who can't. You don't like gays your homophobic that is a sin. Since you are judging people solely based on their sexual orientations. As the bible stated god created US ALL whether your gay, lesbian, straight, black, white, fat, skinny or green you are to treat others as you wanna be treated.

I hate when people like you try to decide what other people can do with their lives or how one should live their life. When people of other races marry interracially you all have problems. Why should you be entitled to tell someone they can't get married because of the persons gender or race?

[warmsoaps]

07:59 AM on 02/08/2012

I don't care what any of you do, as long as you act like grown-ups and pick your battles with grown ups.
I do not treat any one poorly. These are God's thoughts and they were similiar to Sarahs and since he is the creator as you stated, then he has the ultimate authority to judge all of us on any matter, including sexual orientation.

[Davey Johnson]

06:49 AM on 02/06/2012

Child exploitation. How terrible.