Maryland

Nine years after Obergefell, number of same-sex marriages has jumped in Maryland – Maryland Matters

Published

12 months ago

June 27, 2024

Nine years after Obergefell, number of same-sex marriages has jumped in Maryland – Maryland Matters

Same-sex couples could already get married in Maryland before the U.S. Supreme Court extended the right nationwide nine years ago, but the numbers have risen sharply since the ruling was handed down in Obergefell v. Hodges.

The U.S. Census Bureau estimates that there were about 4,400 same-sex married couples in Maryland in 2012, the year before the state made it legal. That number grew to 10,388 by 2015, when the Supreme Court called marriage “a fundamental right inherent in the liberty of the person” that could not be denied to same-sex couples.

Since that June 26, 2015, ruling the number of same-sex married couples in Maryland has climbed to about 16,500, according to Census estimates, or 69% of all same-sex couples, up from 33% in 2012.

Despite members of the LGBTQ+ community still facing discrimination and other challenges, overall acceptance has grown over the years as some states such as Maryland work to pass laws that aim to uplift the community.

“I would say that’s the biggest difference … I see people really thriving in their authenticity in themselves. Getting back to … being all open and honest about who you are, and being able to say it out loud and proud,” said Sen. Mary Washington (D-Baltimore City and Baltimore County) who was the first openly LGBTQ+ African American elected to state office in Maryland.

Sen. Mary Washington (D-Baltimore City and Baltimore County). File photo by Bryan P. Sears.

“Like, I can say ‘my wife,’” she said. “And I say that more often than I say I’m a lesbian … I could just say ‘my wife’ and that says it all.”

She believes that Maryland was “on the right side of history” by legalizing same-sex marriages before Obergefell.

But the change was a long time coming.

Same-sex marriage was banned in most states in 2003, when Massachusetts became the first state to allow it. Acceptance grew slowly. By 2013, when Maryland’s law took effect, 33 states still had same-sex marriage prohibitions, 29 of which were voter-approved bans set in the states’ constitutions.

Maryland law banned same-sex marriages until 2012, although the state did recognize the validity of such marriages from states where they were legal. But in 2012, the General Assembly narrowly voted to put the question to voters on the November ballot.

The change was approved that fall by 52.4% of voters, and same-sex marriages were officially recognized in the state starting in January 2013.

Meanwhile, overall attitude and acceptance of same-sex couples have increased over the years.

According to surveys from Gallup, a public opinion research group, about 69% percent of people in 2024 believe that “same-sex couples should … be recognized by the law as valid, with the same rights as traditional marriages.” That is actually slightly lower than the year before, when 71% agreed with the statement, but it’s much higher than in previous years.

In May 2015, a month before the Obergefell ruling, 60% believed that same-sex marriages should be legal. In 2013, 53% agreed with that statement. But prior to 2011, most people said that same-sex marriages should not be legal.

In recent years, the Moore administration and state lawmakers have attempted to bolster protections for the LGBTQ+ community, at a time when other states are going in the opposite direction.

This year, the General Assembly passed a bill that placed “gender-affirming care” under the state’s category of legally protected care.” The intent is to keep medical information of persons who seek gender-affirming care in Maryland from being shared across state lines, and potentially with law enforcement in states that are more hostile to transgender people.

While some advocates and lawmakers say that Maryland was ahead of the game when it comes to protecting the rights and dignity of its LGBTQ+ community, there are still challenges that gay, lesbian, transgender residents may struggle with.

“So for some, marriage was the only thing they really needed,” Washington said. “But there’s still health care access, there’s housing, access to employment, discrimination.”

The state’s Commission on LGBTQIA+ Affairs affirms her concerns. According to a 2023 report, while significant progress had been made over the last decade, “formidable challenges remain.”

The commission said in its 2023 report that nationally and in Maryland “LGBTQIA+ individuals continue to face challenges related to access to affirming housing, healthcare, education and employment, along with increased risks of discrimination, harassment, and violence.” The commission also reported that 78.8% of transgender people experienced verbal insults or abuse at least once in their lives, and that 46.1% had experienced physical and or sexual assault in their lives.

Just Tuesday, the Maryland Department of Health released survey results of high school students evaluating risk behaviors among LGBTQ+ kids compared to their straight counterparts. Based on 2023 data, students who identified as gay, lesbian, bisexual or questioning said they faced bullying at a higher rate than the rest of the student population. They were more likely to experience verbal or physical abuse from their parents.

Just over 50% of gay, lesbian or bisexual high school students surveyed reported that “their mental health was most of the time or always not good,” compared to 20% of the straight students reported.

Washington reflected on the advances from the time she was first elected to the House of Delegates in 2010, to the legalization of same-sex marriages in Maryland in 2013 and the Obergefell decision in 2015, but said there’s still more to be done.

“It was a time when it was really important for the public to see that we are human. That we are Marylanders,” she said of her 2010 bid for office. “Us being able to say, ‘I am the same as you,’ was really important. And I think now we should be able to take the space … those differences are what makes us special.”

“We’ll just evolve and see what the next challenges are,” she added.

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Maryland

York County man killed in three-vehicle crash in Maryland

Published

1 hour ago

June 7, 2025

Press Room

A Spring Grove man was killed in a three-vehicle crash Friday morning in Maryland.

According to a Maryland State Police statement, Nicholas Standiford, 25, was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash, which occurred around 7:48 a.m. on the Hampstead Bypass, or Maryland Route 30, in Carroll County, Maryland.

Standiford was the driver of a Chevrolet pickup truck that was involved in the crash.

Maryland State Police said a preliminary investigation showed that a Ford pickup truck was traveling south on Maryland Route 30 when, for unknown reasons, it traveled into the northbound lanes, striking a Chevrolet dump truck. That collision caused the dump truck to strike the Chevrolet pickup truck.

A passenger in the Chevrolet dump truck, whose identification is being withheld pending next of kin notification, was pronounced dead after being transported by ambulance to Carroll Hospital Center.

The driver and another passenger in the dump truck and the driver of the Ford pickup truck were flown by Maryland State Police Aviation Command to a hospital for treatment of their injuries. Their conditions were not immediately known.

Lanes on Maryland Route 30 were closed for approximately five hours while the investigation into the crash was being conducted, police said.

Maryland State Police stated that the investigation into the crash is ongoing.

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Maryland

Kilmar Abrego Garcia, wrongly deported to El Salvador, is back in the U.S. to face smuggling charges

Published

21 hours ago

June 6, 2025

Press Room

Kilmar Abrego Garcia, wrongly deported to El Salvador, is back in the U.S. to face smuggling charges

Jennifer Vasquez Sura speaks during an April 4 news conference at CASA’s Multicultural Center in Hyattsville, Md., after her husband, Kilmar Abrego Garcia, was mistakenly deported to El Salvador.

Jose Luis Magana/AP

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Jose Luis Magana/AP

Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia, the Maryland man at the center of a bitter, months-long political and legal fight after he was mistakenly deported to El Salvador, has been returned to the United States to face criminal charges, according to an indictment announced Friday.

U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi announced his return and the indictment at a press conference at the Department of Justice.

“This is what American justice looks like,” Bondi said.

She thanked Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele for agreeing to send Abrego Garcia back

In recorded calls, reports of overcrowding and lack of food at ICE detention centers

Bondi told reporters that a federal grand jury indicted Abrego Garcia on May 21 in Tennessee over allegations he conspired to transport thousands of migrants without legal status from Texas across the U.S. between 2016-2025. The two-count indictment accuses Abrego Garcia “of conspiracy to unlawfully transport illegal aliens for financial gain” and “unlawful transportation of illegal aliens for financial gain.”

Bondi says Abrego Garcia will face trial in the U.S. on these charges and, if found guilty, will serve time in a U.S. prison before being deported back to El Salvador.

Abrego Garcia’s attorney said they’re going to keep fighting to get him a fair trial. “Now, after months of delay and secrecy, they’re bringing him back, not to correct their error but to prosecute him. This shows that they were playing games with the court all along,” Abrego Garcia’s lawyer, Simon Sandoval-Moshenberg, told NPR. “Due process means the chance to defend yourself before you’re punished, not after. This is an abuse of power, not justice.”

A Salvadoran native who had been living with his wife and children in Maryland, Abrego Garcia was deported in March to El Salvador’s notorious CECOT prison despite a 2019 court order barring his deportation to that country due to fear of persecution. The Trump administration admitted that it had deported Abrego Garcia due to an “administrative error,” but later defended the move, claiming he was a member of the criminal gang MS-13. His wife and attorneys deny that.

The 10-page criminal indictment unsealed today alleges that Abrego Garcia is “a member and associate of the transnational criminal organization, La Mara Salvatrucha, otherwise known… as MS-13.” The indictment also details that he participated in more than 100 trips smuggling individuals from Texas to Maryland, including unaccompanied minors and alleged members of the Salvadoran gang MS-13.

Abrego Garcia’s deportation case has become a bedrock for both the Trump administration and immigration advocates as the push to streamline deportations undercuts key elements of due process.

After the announcement of Abrego Garcia’s return, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement that the indictment “proves the unhinged Democrat Party was wrong, and their stenographers in the Fake News Media were once again played like fools,” adding that the administration would “continue to hold criminals accountable to the fullest extent of the law.”

It’s been nearly three months since the father of three children was pulled over in his car by Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers and ended up imprisoned in El Salvador. Abrego Garcia was arrested on March 12 on his way home from work in Baltimore. He was deported a few days later, along with more than 230 other immigrants, and housed at CECOT. By April 20, according to court documents, Abrego Garcia had been moved to a lower security Salvadoran prison.

Abrego Garcia, who had arrived unlawfully in the U.S., when he was a teenager, had received protection from removal to El Salvador in 2019 by an immigration judge. That protection, known as withholding of removal, had never been challenged by government officials.

Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Salvadoran citizen who was deported to El Salvador by the Trump administration, speaks with Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., in a hotel restaurant in San Salvador on April 17.

Press Office Senator Van Hollen/via AP

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Press Office Senator Van Hollen/via AP

U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis in Maryland has overseen the months-long legal case over the deportation of Abrego Garcia. Xinis, an Obama-appointed judge, last month ordered the government to facilitate Abrego Garcia’s return. The Justice Department repeatedly invoked the state secrets privilege in federal court to withhold information related to three deportation flights to El Salvador, one of which Abrego Garcia was on.

In a 9-0 ruling issued on April 10, the U.S. Supreme Court said that the government “must facilitate” the return of Abrego Garcia. But the administration refused to bring him back and Salvadoran President Bukele also said he would not release him. . Notably, Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., traveled to El Salvador in late April to seek Abrego Garcia’s release. Several other Democrats made their own trips, arguing that the Trump administration was violating due process.

Federal prosecutors have requested that Abrego Garcia be held in “pre-trial custody because he poses a danger to the community and a serious risk of flight.”

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Maryland

Maryland Lottery Pick 3, Pick 4 results for June 5, 2025

Published

2 days ago

June 6, 2025

Press Room

Maryland Lottery Pick 3, Pick 4 results for June 5, 2025

The Maryland Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big. Here’s a look at June 5, 2025, results for each game:

Winning Pick 3 numbers from June 5 drawing

Midday: 0-4-1

Evening: 9-7-3

Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 4 numbers from June 5 drawing

Midday: 1-7-8-5

Evening: 0-7-7-3

Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 5 numbers from June 5 drawing

Midday: 1-4-6-7-4

Evening: 4-9-1-2-2

Check Pick 5 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Cash4Life numbers from June 5 drawing

06-08-22-34-59, Cash Ball: 02

Check Cash4Life payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Cash Pop numbers from June 5 drawing

9 a.m.: 12

1 p.m.: 14

6 p.m.: 04

11 p.m.: 11

Check Cash Pop payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Bonus Match 5 numbers from June 5 drawing

07-10-31-33-38, Bonus: 26

Check Bonus Match 5 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning MultiMatch numbers from June 5 drawing

04-28-30-32-33-37

Check MultiMatch payouts and previous drawings here.

Keno

Drawings are held every four minutes. Check winning numbers here.

Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results

Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your lottery prize

Maryland Lottery retailers will redeem prizes up to $600. For prizes above $600, winners can claim by mail or in person from the Maryland Lottery office, an Expanded Cashing Authority Program location or cashiers’ windows at Maryland casinos. Prizes over $5,000 must be claimed in person.

Claiming by Mail

Sign your winning ticket and complete a claim form. Include a photocopy of a valid government-issued ID and a copy of a document that shows proof of your Social Security number or Federal Tax ID number. Mail these to:

Maryland Lottery Customer Resource Center

1800 Washington Boulevard

Suite 330

Baltimore, MD 21230

For prizes over $600, bring your signed ticket, a government-issued photo ID, and proof of your Social Security or Federal Tax ID number to Maryland Lottery headquarters, 1800 Washington Boulevard, Baltimore, MD. Claims are by appointment only, Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. This location handles all prize amounts, including prizes over $5,000.

Winning Tickets Worth $25,000 or Less

Maryland Lottery headquarters and select Maryland casinos can redeem winning tickets valued up to $25,000. Note that casinos cannot cash prizes over $600 for non-resident and resident aliens (tax ID beginning with “9”). You must be at least 21 years of age to enter a Maryland casino. Locations include:

Horseshoe Casino: 1525 Russell Street, Baltimore, MD
MGM National Harbor: 101 MGM National Avenue, Oxon Hill, MD
Live! Casino: 7002 Arundel Mills Circle, Hanover, MD
Ocean Downs Casino: 10218 Racetrack Road, Berlin, MD
Hollywood Casino: 1201 Chesapeake Overlook Parkway, Perryville, MD
Rocky Gap Casino: 16701 Lakeview Road NE, Flintstone, MD

Check previous winning numbers and payouts at Maryland Lottery.

When are the Maryland Lottery drawings held?

Powerball: 11 p.m. ET Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
Mega Millions: 11 p.m. ET Tuesday and Friday.
Pick 3, Pick 4 and Pick 5 Midday: 12:27 p.m. ET Monday through Friday, 12:28 p.m. ET Saturday and Sunday.
Pick 3, 4 and 5 Evening: 7:56 p.m. ET Monday through Saturday, 8:10 p.m. ET on Sunday.
Cash4Life: 9 p.m. ET daily.
Cash Pop: 9 a.m., 1 p.m., 6 p.m. and 11 p.m. daily.
Bonus Match 5: 7:56 p.m. ET Monday through Saturday, 8:10 p.m. ET on Sunday.
MultiMatch: 7:56 p.m. Monday and Thursday.
Powerball Double Play: 11 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.

This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Maryland editor. You can send feedback using this form.

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