At the Unitarian Universalist Church of Annapolis this morning, songs and melodies echoed in the rafters as an early morning sun moved higher in the sky, filling the church with light. The singers and early morning risers were a diverse group of Maryland clergy members, organized by Equality Maryland's Pride In Faith Coalition to attend a prayer breakfast held to discuss HB 235 – the Gender Identity Anti-Discrimination Act.

Reverend Lisa Ward, a Unitarian Universalist, called the group together at the start of the gathering for a short song, which was followed by prayer. Pastor Larry Brumfield of the Westminster Church of the Brethren took to a podium and began the morning speaking of the determination and conviction of those in the faith community who have taken a stand for justice and have been public in their support for Gender Identity Non-Discrimination.

Today, with the leadership of Del Kathleen Dumais, Lead Sponsor of HB 175 Keiffer Mitchell, and LGBT caucus member Luke Clippinger, the committee voted favorably to advance the Civil Marriage Protection Act to the house floor early next week. 

BREAKING: MARRIAGE EQUALITY IN MARYLAND VAULTS FORWARD WITH HOUSE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE'S PASSAGE OF CIVIL MARRIAGE EQUALITY BILL

This afternoon, after careful consideration, the House Judiciary Committee voted 12-10 in favor of sending Senate Bill 116 – the Civil Marriage Protection Act –  for consideration by the full House of Delegates. This is an exciting step that adds even more momentum behind marriage equality in the state of Maryland.

We're in the fight for our lives.

In just a few days, the Maryland House of Delegates will likely vote on the Civil Marriage Protection Act, a bill that ends the exclusion of loving and committed gay and lesbian couples from marriage.  This is the last step of this historic legislation before it would land on the desk of Governor O'Malley for his signature.

And make no mistake, the momentum is on our side!

Members of Maryland's diverse faith community have signed Equality Maryland's declaration of religious support for marriage equality.

Take action today by signing your name as a clergy member who supports full marriage equality for committed gay and lesbian couples in Maryland.

Please join Equality Maryland, members of the faith community and supporters of HB235 - Gender Identity Anti-Discrimination Act - this Tuesday, March 8th at 7:30 AM for a Prayer Breakfast at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Annapolis. We will meet, greet, share wisdom, proclaim public advocacy, and raise our voices in diverse, grace-filled praise for equality.

Signatories of the Religious Coalition Petition:

Rabbi Debra Kolodny, ALEPH: Alliance for Jewish Renewal (Silver Spring, MD)

Henry N. Williams, Baltimore Ethical Society (Baltimore,MD)

Rabbi Andrew Busch, Baltimore Hebrew Congregation (Baltimore,MD)

Ann Sacks, Baltimore Hebrew Congregation (Baltimore,MD)

Rabbi Elissa Sachs-Kohen, Baltimore Hebrew Congregation (Baltimore,MD)

Cantor Robbie Solomon, Baltimore Hebrew Congregation (Baltimore,MD)

Rabbi Amy Scheinerman, Beth Shalom Congregation (Columbia, MD)

Pastor Darren Phelps, Bethel Christian Church (Washington, DC)

Rev. Juan A. McCoy, Bethel Christian Church (Washington, DC)

Rev. Allison Smith, Bethesda UCC (Bethesda, MD)

Rev. Arthur Dan Gleckler, Bethesda United Methodist Church (Baltimore,MD)

Rabbi Jonathan A. Panitz, Botlton Street Synagogue (Baltimore,MD)

Kate Foster Connors, Brown Memorial Park Ave. Presbyterian Church (Baltimore,MD)

Rev. Andrew Foster Connors, Brown Memorial Park Avenue Presbyterian Church (Baltimore,MD)

Rev. Emily Martin, Brown Memorial Park Avenue Presbyterian Church (Baltimore,MD)

Rev. James W Dale, Brown Memorial Woodbrook Presbyterian (Baltimore,MD)

The Rev. Ben H. Smith, Jr., Cathedral of the Incarnation (Baltimore,MD)

Phil Attey, Catholics for Marriage Equality (Washington, DC)

Rev. Dr. Kenneth E. Kovacs, Catonsville Presbyterian Church (Catonsville. MD)

Rev. Archene Turner, Cedar Lane Unitarian Universalist Church (Bethesda, MD)

Rev. Heather K. Janules, Cedar Lane Unitarian Universalist Church (Bethesda, MD)

The Rev. Susan Davison Archer, Cedar Lane Unitatian Universalist Church (Bethesda, MD)

Chaplain Cynthia Terry, Goucher College (Baltimore,MD)

Jim Henkelman, Bahn Christ Congregational Church (Silver Spring, MD)

Kathleen Boucher, Christ Congregational Church (Silver Spring, MD)

Richard Thayer, Christ Congregational UCC (Silver Spring, MD)

Most Reverend Lawrence J. Harms, D. D., Christ the King Pastoral Center (Frederick, MD)

Cheryl L Tatham, Community Outreach of North Chevy Chase Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) (Chevy Chase, MD)

Rabbi Elizabeth Bolton, Congregation Beit Tikvah (Baltimore,MD)

Rabbi Emeritus Robert Saks, Congregation Bet Mishpachah (Washington, DC)

Rev. Robert A. Renix, Covenant Baptist Church affiliated with United Church of Christ (Washington, DC)

Rev. Bruce T. Marshall, Davies Memorial Unitarian Universalist Church (Camp Springs, MD)

Susan Quass, Dayspring Ecumenical Church (Germantown, MD)

Wesley Wubbehorst, Diocese of Maryland (Baltimore,MD)

Rev. Anna-Sara Fire, Ecumenicon Fellowship (Warminster, PA)

Rev. Rik Fire, Ecumenicon Fellowship (Warminster, PA)

Rev. Charles R. Butler III, Ecumenicon Fellowship - Rising Sun Congregation (Hyattsville, MD)

The Rev. Preston K. Mears, Jr., Episcopal Church (Camp Springs, MD)

Rev. Monique Ellison, Episcopal Church of the Ressurection (Baltimore,MD)

Rev. Barbara Daniel, Evangelical Reformed United Church of Christ (Frederick, MD)

Rev. Christa Fuller, Burns Faith Presbyterian Church (Baltimore,MD)

Rev. Bruce G. Swanson (Ret.), First and St. Stephen's United Church of Christ (Baltimore,MD)

Dr. D. Doreion Colter, First Unitarian Church of Baltimore (Baltimore,MD)

Rev. David Carl Olson, First Unitarian Church of Baltimore (Baltimore,MD)

Rev. Cynthia Snavely, Goodloe Memorial Unitarian Universalist Congregation (Bowie, MD)

Rev. Tom Harris, Govans Presbyterian Church (Baltimore,MD)

Rev. Steven Ostendorf-Snell, Grace United Church of Christ (Taneytown, MD)

The Rev. Nancy Webb, Grace United Methodist Church (Baltimore,MD)

Rev. Daniel R. Hamlin, Greenbelt Community Church, UCC (Greenbelt, MD)

David North, Holy redeemer MCC (College Park, MD)

M. E. Fiedler, Interfaith collaboration (Brentwood, MD)

Rabbi Elizabeth Richman, Jews United for Justice (Washington, DC)

Rev. Jennifer Walters, Krider's UCC (Westminster, MD)

Rev. Roger Scott Powers, Light Street Presbyterian Church (Baltimore,MD)

Rev. Mary Gaut, Maryland Presbyterian Church (Towson, MD)

The Rev. Martha N. Macgill, Memorial Episcopal Church, Bolton Hill (Baltimore,MD)

Minister Debora Ruffin, Metropilitan Community Church of Baltimore (Baltimore,MD)

Professor Angela Jones, Metropolitan Community Church of Baltimore (Baltimore,MD)

The Rev. Dr. Wayne Schwandt, Metropoltan Community Church of the Chesapeake (Annapolis, MD)

Rev. James E. Taylor, Mt. Vernon Place UMC Baltimore (Baltimore,MD)

Rev. Craig Moore, Mt. Vernon Place United Methodist Church (Washington, DC)

Cornelia E. Jones, National Spiritual Science Center (Washington, DC)

Rev. Lonnie Weinheimer Lee, National Spiritual science Center (Washington, DC)

Rev. Starlene Joyner Burns, National Spiritual Science Center (Washington, DC)

Rev. Zuri Nia, National Spiritual Science Center (Silver Spring, MD)

Rev. Frank Smith, New Church in Spirit (Baltimore,MD)

Rev. Candy Holmes, New Covenant Metropolitan Community Church (Laurel, MD)

Rev. Michael Hydes, New Light Metropolitan Community Church (Hagerstown, MD)

Frank DeBernardo, New Ways Ministry (Mount Rainier, MD)

Sister Jeannine Gramick, SL, New Ways Ministry (Mount Rainier, MD)

Kelly Stewart, New Ways Ministry (Mount Rainier, MD)

Rev. Lawrence Obern, Nomadic Chantry of the Gramarye (Laurel, MD)

David M. Baker, Non-Affiliated Buddhist (Pikesville, MD)

Melissa McDade, Norrisville United Methodist (Norrisville, MD)

Robert L. Davis III, NSSC (Silver Spring, MD)

Olivia Cammack, One God One Thought Center for Better Living (Baltimore,MD)

Rev. Jill McCrory, Open Door Metropolitan Community Church (Boyds, MD)

Rev. Diane Teichert, Paint Branch Unitarian Universalist Church (Hyattsville, MD)

Rev. David L.Pollitt, Presbytery of Baltimore (Baltimore,MD)

The Rev. Carol Bustard-Burnside Priest-In-Charge, Church of the Ascension, Middle River, MD (Baltimore,MD)

The Rev. Ronald H. Miller, retired (Baltimore,MD)

Beth & John Pattison, Rockville United Church (Rockville, MD)

Denise Fay-Guthrie, Rockville United Church (Rockville, MD)

Mark W. Hanna, Roland Park Presbyterian Church (Baltimore,MD)

Joanna White, Sherwood Episcopal Church (Hunt Valley, MD)

Rabbi Gerald Serotta, Shirat HaNefesh Congregation (Chevy Chase, MD)

Mary E. Hunt, Sisters Against Sexism / Women's Alliance for Theology, Ethics and Ritual (WATER) (Silver Spring, MD)

Ed Warfield, St. Bartholomew's Episcopal Church (Baltimore,MD)

Rev. Patricia M. Drost, St. George's, Spesutia (Aberdeen, MD)

Fred Mason, St. James Episcopal (Washington, DC)

The Rev. Kathleen E Corbett-Welch, St. Luke's Episcopal Church Brighton (Brookeville, MD)

The Rev. T. Stewart Lucas, St. Margaret's Church (Annapolis, MD)

Rev. Dr. Richard W. Scott, St. Mary's United Church of Christ (Westminster, MD)

Eleanor Holland, St. Matthias Episcopal (Baltimore,MD)

Lucy Brady, St. Paul's United Church of Christ (Lanham, MD)

Rev. Marty Kuchma, St. Paul's United Church of Christ (Westminster, MD)

Rev. Megan Foley, Sugarloaf Congregation of Unitarian Universalists (Germantown, MD)

Rabbi Rhoda JH Silverman, Temple Emanuel of Baltimore (Reisterstown, MD)

Rabbi Warren Stone, Temple Emanuel of Baltimore (Kensington, MD)

Rabbi Donald R Berlin, Temple Oheb Shalom (Baltimore,MD)

The Rev. Dr. Alison Halsey, The First and Franklin St. Presbyterian Church (Baltimore,MD)

Rev. Clare Petersberger, The Towson Unitarian Uni

versalist Church (Lutherville, MD)

Rev. Fredric Muir, Unitarian Universalist Church of Annapolis (Annapolis, MD)

Stephanie Kreps, Unitarian Universalist Church of Rockville (Rockville, MD)

Pastor Elizabeth Lerner Maclay, Unitarian Universalist Church of Silver Spring (Silver Spring, MD)

Rev. Dr. Terence Ellen, Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Greater Cumberland (Cumberland, MD)

The Rev. Carolyn L. Roberts, United Church of Christ of Seneca Valley (Germantown, MD)

Rev. Cheryl Alston, Unity Fellowship Church of Baltimore (Baltimore,MD)

Rev. Dr. Jamie Washington, Unity Fellowship Church of Baltimore (Baltimore,MD)

Elder Harris Thomas, Unity Fellowship Church of Baltimore (Baltimore,MD)

Minister Sam Offer, Unity Fellowship Church of Baltimore (Baltimore,MD)

Rev. Bruce Amon James, Unity of Washington DC (Washington, DC)

Carlos J. Vazquez, Unity of Washington DC (Washing

ton, DC)

Rev. Lloyd Bailey, Unity of Washington DC (Washington, DC)

Rev. Shelly M. Mohnkern, Universal Life Church (Gaithersburg, MD)

Edward Adams, UU Church Annapolis (Riva, MD)

Rev. Lisa Ward, UU Fellowship of Harford County (Churchville, MD)

Rev. Alida DeCoster, UU Washington Office (Washington, DC)

Rev. Ellen Jennings, UUCSS (Silver Spring, MD)

Rev. Amanda Poppei, Washington Ethical Society (Washington, DC)

Rabbi Susan N. Shankman, Washington Hebrew Congregation (Washington, DC)

Rev. Larry Leon Brumfield, Westminster Church of the Brethren (Westminster, MD)

Catherine Hyde, the Transgender Network Coordinator for PFLAG Howard County and a mom of a 17-year-old, is planning to testify at the House Committee hearing on HB 235, the Gender Identity Anti-Discrimination Act. Below is her story:

Patricia Morris English, the chair of Columbia Howard County’s PFLAG, spoke out about her experience raising her son, who happens to be gay, at the House Judiciary Committee hearing on the marriage bill. Pat’s story is below:

We are so close to making history here in our state, but we have to keep fighting!

Last week, a majority of brave Maryland Senators voted to end the exclusion of loving and committed gay and lesbian couples from marriage.  It was a landmark moment - a pivotal step towards fundamental fairness for all Maryland families.  Now, it's time for the House of Delegates to send the Civil Marriage Protection Act to Governor O'Malley for his signature.

But it can only happen with YOUR help.

The religious community is often painted in a negative light in our community's struggle for equality. In Maryland, things are different.  We have actively worked to bring and highlight the voice of members of the faith community that support equality, especially those supporting the HB235, the Gender Identity Anti-Discrimination Act.

Earlier this year, clergy from around the state gathered at the UUC in Annapolis to celebrate, sign, gather, pray in support of our LGBT community here in Maryland.