''It's time that we get full marriage equality and that we get it in 2011,'' Senate Majority Leader Rob Garagiola (D-Montgomery), who is straight, said after Darrell Carrington, of Equality Maryland's board of directors, introduced the Religious Freedom and Civil Marriage Protection Act.

If passed, the bill, drafted by Sen. Rich Madaleno (D-Montgomery), the only openly gay member of Maryland's Senate, and Sen. Jamie Raskin (D-Montgomery), would allow same-sex couples to engage in civil marriage, while also protecting the rights of religious institutions to handle issues of marriage equality however they see fit. According to Equality Maryland, a House version of the bill will be introduced in the near future.