Same-sex marriage legalized in Md.

Associated Press

BELTSVILLE, Md.

Maryland became the eighth state to legalize gay marriage Thursday, as opponents already were several days into an effort to rally voters to reverse the change this fall. The push will rely heavily on members of black churches.

Many African-American church leaders oppose gay marriage in the liberal-leaning state that’s nearly one-third black, and President Barack Obama’s re-election campaign is expected to drive many of their congregants to the polls. Opponents submitted draft language for a ballot referendum to overturn the measure just after it passed the Legislature last week.

Gov. Martin O’Malley signed the bill into law Thursday, and it takes effect in January 2013.

“Religious freedom was the very reason for our state’s founding, and at the heart of religious freedom is the freedom of individual conscience,” O’Malley said just before adding his signature to the legislation.

Over the weekend, some pastors at predominantly black churches already were using their sermons to shop the referendum effort to their congregations, asking members to sign up for email alerts, put their name on petitions and overturn the law come November. The Catholic Church, which has 1.2 million parishioners in Maryland, also has openly opposed the bill.