Even Crustaceans want Equality!

“Thanks for the crabs, honey!” – Not usually what you want to hear after a date . . . or whatever, but that's ok, if you're in the great state of Maryland – which just a got a wee smidgen greater.

Maryland Attorney General Douglas F. Gansler announced today that effective immediately the state would recognize and give full faith and credit to gay marriages entered into outside of Maryland. While marriages performed in Maryland themselves are still restricted to opposite sex couples, today's announcement is just another step closer to changing this injustice as well. For a state whose motto is “Fatti Maschii, Parole Femine" (Manly Deeds, Womanly Words), eventual legalization of same-sex marriage, should only be a matter of (little) time ;). In fact, gay and lesbian Marylanders can adopt children and have legal protection from discrimination. The law also requires insurance companies to provide health benefits to gay and lesbian couples if their employers offers such benefits in general. Though one-term Republican Governor anomaly (before Marylanders came back to their senses) Robert L. Ehrlich vetoed a domestic partnership bill passed by the General Assembly in 2005, the state is once again in the hands of bleeding heart liberals, thus explaining the current move towards enlightenment.

A state like this has to be welcoming to family, and so it is in Baltimore, its biggest city, and Annapolis, its quaint, colonial capital (keep alert while traversing the hinterlands of the Eastern Shore, though!). The Mt. Vernon neighborhood, close to downtown, and within walking distance to the Inner Harbour, is a trendy, yuppie district, where you can find the thumping heart of Baltimore's gay community with clubs like Grand Central (www.centralstationpub.com) or the Hippo (www.clubhippo.com). Of course, every city also has to have its Eagle (www.thebaltimoreeagle.com). One of Baltimore's more favorite lesbian hang outs – Gallagher's Bar and Grill (www.gallaghersbar.com) isn't in Mt. Vernon, but no less entertaining in the Canton neighborhood east of downtown.

Any trip to Maryland would not be a trip to Maryland without a visit to its capital, Annapolis, with its preserved, historic, colonial atmosphere and thousands of midshipmen (and, yes, 10% of them are ;)). While you're there, you can stay at the Two-O-One (201 Prince George St.) (www.201bb.com) – a gay owned and operated Georgian style bed and breakfast a few short blocks from the restaurants, shops, and U.S. Naval Academy.