Returning in Love

Yeah, I've been razzing on Maryland lately. And yes, they deserve it: using the existence of sadomasochism as an excuse to let a domestic abuser go free is seriously uncool.

But it's difficult for me to stay angry at Maryland for long. I love Maryland. And it's polling like this that shows why. On same-sex marriage:

On the same-sex marriage issue, 51 percent said they oppose allowing gay and lesbian couples to marry, and 44 percent said they support changing the law to allow that.

But Marylanders are far more open to the idea of allowing gay and lesbian couples to form civil unions, giving them some of the same legal rights as married couples. Fifty-seven percent support civil unions; 39 percent oppose them.

A national poll last year found that 45 percent supported civil unions and 48 percent opposed them.
[...]
Fifty-nine percent of white Marylanders favor civil unions. Blacks are split, with 46 percent supporting and 48 percent opposing them. Meanwhile, 59 percent of African Americans oppose same-sex marriage, and white are split, with 50 percent supporting and 45 percent opposing.

I'd be very surprised if there are more than a half-dozen states where even White voters (who, on this issue at least, are probably more liberal than Blacks) can pull a majority in favor of gay marriage. But that's Maryland! And I have to say, those are the sort of numbers in which a bold state legislature could legitimately act and win passage for legalization. Given Maryland's huge Democratic skew in terms of state-wide representation, I think it's time to make the push.