Del. Heather Mizeur, a Takoma Park Democrat, is one of the primary co-sponsors of legislation providing civil marriage for same-sex couples.
She and her partner, Deborah Renay, exchanged vows in 2005 and want to have their commitment recognized by the state as marriage.
When you campaigned, did people know your sexual orientation?
I ran as an ??out?? candidate. It wasn?t something I necessarily said one way or the other, but Deb was with me at every event and introduced as my spouse, and on the Web site.
Why did you get married?
We were married Aug. 27, 2005, on the western shores of the Chesapeake Bay.
We wanted to get married in our state, because while we knew our relationship wasn?t recognized yet, we knew in our hearts one day it would be.
We wanted all of our friends and family to come to the great state we love and see the beauty of it and the hope we had about where Maryland would one day be on this issue.
Like any couple that is serious about the commitment they are making, you choose to get married, because you?ve found the one person you want to spend the rest of your life with and want to be committed to and work together in a partnership to help sustain and support each other through life?s ups and downs.
Do you expect hostility for being so visible on this issue?
No. I represent many, many families in the same circumstances.
There are a lot of people throughout this state who every day are struggling under the lack of protections that we have.
If the state is going to grant any set of rights for one class of relationships, they should have those exact same rights apply to everyone.
That?s the only way we?re going to get equal justice under the law.
