“For a people of many faiths, for a people committed to the principle of religious freedom, the way forward is always found through greater respect for the equal rights of all, for the human dignity of all.”
— Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley, in signing legislation that made his state the eighth to legalize gay marriage.
Maryland Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller, Gov. Martin O’Malley and House Speaker Michael Busch, from left, sign the state’s same-sex marriage bill into law at the Maryland State House in Annapolis. Photo: Alex Wong, Getty Images