TONIGHT: MoCo Democratic Rally w/ O'Malley, Cardin, Hoyer, Edwards, Van Hollen, Delaney, Brown, Gansler & Franchot

PLUS: MoCo African American Dem Club with Rep. John Sarbanes this WED

Below Maryland Juice provides two announcements for worthwhile Democratic Party events in Montgomery County. Tonight, many of the State's leading Democrats are rallying in Gaithersburg, Maryland. Then on Wednesday, the MoCo African American Democratic Club is gearing up for the November Elections. They invite you to their general membership meeting, which features Congressman John Sarbanes and Maryland Dems Executive Director David Sloan. See both announcements below.

EVENT #1:  DEMOCRATIC UNITY RALLY - MON 5/14 AT 6 PM - GAITHERSBURG, MD

What:             Montgomery County Democratic Unity Rally. Open to public and press.

Who:               Governor Martin O’Malley, U.S. Senator Ben Cardin, Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer, Congresswoman Donna Edwards, Congressman John Sarbanes, Congressman Chris Van Hollen, Democratic Nominee John Delaney, Lt. Governor Anthony Brown, Attorney General Doug Gansler, Comptroller Peter Franchot and Maryland Elected Officials

Where:           Casey Community Center, 810 S. Frederick Avenue, Gaithersburg 

When:             Monday, May 14 6:00 PM 

RVSP:             https://my.barackobama.com/page/event/detail/gpb33l

EVENT #2:  MOCO AFR. AMER. DEM CLUB - WED 5/16 AT 6:30 PM - WHEATON, MD

See You at the May 16th AADCMC Membership Meeting!

Our meeting will begin at 6:30p.m. at the Wheaton Library, lower meeting room, 11701 Georgia Ave., Wheaton, MD.

Members are in for a treat as we kick off the countdown to the elections with guests David Sloan, Executive Director of the Maryland Democratic Party; John Randall, Montgomery County Director for the Obama national mobilization unit Organizing For America (OFA); Karla Walker, Voter Protection Chair, MC Democratic Central Committee; and Congressman John Sarbanes.* Come on out, bring a friend, and let's get going!

Bring your membership application or renewal form with you.  To become a member of the AADCMC, click here.

NOTE: Anyone can become a member of the AADCMC.

VIDEO: Baltimore Priest Invokes Senator Mike Miller At Anti-Marriage Equality Rally // PLUS: A Mother's Day Alarm

 MARRIAGE EQUALITY = CIVIL RIGHTS, DUH

Maryland GOP Official's Sign 2011

Now that President Barack Obama has endorsed marriage equality, I hope it is dawning on folks that marriage equality and LGBT rights are obviously among our generation's current civil rights struggles.

To help illustrate this point, Maryland Juice has juxtaposed a number of past and present news and cultural items below, including two Norman Rockwell prints that I dragged out of my closet.

We also provide several worthwhile video clips below, in our quest to historically memorialize Senate President Mike Miller's explanation of why he is opposed to marriage equality:


ITEM #1: MOTHER'S DAY MESSAGE FROM MOM OF TEENAGE SUICIDE VICTIM - MAY 2012. Tracy Rodemeyer's 14-year-old son committed suicide last September due to years of bullying about his sexual orientation. Sadly, he even made a videotaped message for the "It Gets Better" project before taking his own life. His parents are carrying on the fight for him (excerpt from the Huffington Post below):

Mother's Day 2012: My First Without My Son

by Tracy Rodemeyer

...What more could a mother want but two beautiful, healthy children with two parents there to love them? We seemed to have it all, the perfect family: one girl, one boy, a beautiful dog in a nice little house. Life was complete! My husband and I would talk about how to raise them right, how to prepare them for the world; never did we utter an ignorant phrase like, "Boy, I hope they are not gay when they grow up." We wished for health and happiness, and to be able to teach our children enough to make them responsible adults who could tackle the world on their own some day....

As my children got older, I would look forward to Mother's Day, because we made sure we spent the full day together, and I would tell the kids the stories of when they were born, or how much they changed my life forever. I could never have imagined my life without them. My life had not been complete until they entered it. They started to make me cards and gifts that I will cherish forever.

Little did I know that Sunday, May 8, 2011 would be my last Mother's Day with both my children. Half my life was taken away from me on Sept. 18, 2011. This is when my son Jamey committed suicide. I began to reexamine my life: Why am I here? Why do I exist? Do I deserve to remain on this Earth when my son is no longer with us? My children were my life, the air that I breathed, the reason for my existence. The blood that ran through me was inside both of them. This Mother's Day I will ask myself a question I ask myself every day: Do I deserve to be recognized on Mother's Day after all that has happened? This Mother's Day will be the hardest ever....

And from the mouth of Jamey: "Love yourself, hold your head up high, and you will go far." Don't worry about the negative things that people may say about you. Be yourself, and love yourself. That is all that matters. We are all different, and we should all embrace those differences, because they make us all unique and special.

To all you moms out there: Happy Mother's Day, and remember to appreciate your children, respect them for who they are, and cherish every moment you have with them, both the good and the bad, because how you look and what you are deep down inside is not all by choice. To all you children: look past what you see as criticism, and understand that you are so loved, more than you can ever imagine, but you may not understand or appreciate it until you are a parent one day. Love yourself, because baby, you were born this way!

ITEM #2: BALTIMORE PRIEST INVOKES SEN. PRESIDENT MIKE MILLER WHILE LEADING RALLY AGAINST MARRIAGE EQUALITY (scary music courtesy of Juice) - JAN. 2012:




ITEM #3: GULNARE KENTUCKY BAPTIST CHURCH BANS INTERRACIAL COUPLES - NOV. 2011:





ITEMS #4-5: NORMAN ROCKWELL CAPTURES 1960'S AMERICA - 1964-1967:

Norman Rockwell, The Problem We All Live With 1964

Norman Rockwell, New Kids in the Neighborhood 1967

ITEM #6: NORTH CAROLINA LESBIAN COUPLE ARRESTED FOR CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE - MAY 2012: The day after North Carolina voters added a same-sex marriage ban to their State Constitution, gay and lesbian couples in the state attempted to get married anyway and were arrested (see photo below and full article at NY Daily News):

See full article at NY Daily News (Photo Source: AP)

ITEM #7: SENATE PRESIDENT MIKE MILLER EXPLAINS WHY HE VOTED AGAINST MARRIAGE EQUALITY, CITING HIS 1972 HELP CREATING THE BAN - FEB. 2012:

BE A GOOD NEIGHBOR: Love thy neighbor.

SUBVERSIVE ART: A Video Preview of Baltimore Rock Opera Society's VALHELLA // PLUS: Charles Village Street Murals

#occupylife

Maryland Juice spent Saturday night checking out 21st century populist art in Baltimore's Charles Village neighborhood. My friend's brother is part of the Baltimore Rock Opera Society (aka BROS), and he invited me to check out their latest production Valhella (dates: 5/13, 5/18, 5/19, 5/20 - Autograph Playhouse, Baltimore - tickets).

Maryland Juice brought a camera to the show, and so I made a short video to give readers a taste of the rock musical (see below). But first, let me provide you a bit of background about BROS, because I think their creativity and entrepreneurial spirit reflect our generation's ethos. Their website states:

Baltimore Rock Opera Society (BROS) is the next evolutionary leap in Baltimore’s musical theatre scene–a highly energetic troupe of actors, writers, musicians, and artists founded in 2007 with the sole mission of producing original, live rock operas in Baltimore....

Essentially plays interspersed with rock songs, Baltimore Rock Opera Society performances maximize production value within a “do-it-yourself” budget. Homemade set pieces and costumes create an awe-inspiring visual context in which actors and musicians tell the story. Each song in a BROS rock opera drives the plot while drawing viewers in through interaction with performers....

 The Baltimore Brew blog had a preview of the show a few weeks ago:

BALTIMORE BREW: On Friday May 11, the Baltimore Rock Opera Society will premier its latest original production, Valhella: The Ragnarokkoperetta, another of the group’s torrid tales of superhuman heroism and suffering. The show is loosely adapted from Norse mythology and executed in pursuit of what composer Richard Wagner, the misty godfather of the BROS’ artistic vision, called gesamtkunstwerk – that mashup of spectacle, ritual, dance, music, theater and other artsy stuff that is opera at its most extreme....

Earlier this week, a few dozen of BROS’ mostly twenty-something cast and crew gathered at the Autograph Playhouse on west North Avenue, a former 285-seat neighborhood movie house transformed by a new stage and lots of red paint on the walls, for what theater professionals call a “stumble through” of Valhella....

While BROS is still in engaged in its own epic struggle for immortality, it has been producing its stupendous productions on the cheap, budgeted at just $10,000 apiece, which is about what they earn in ticket sales.

VALHELLA VIDEO PREVIEW: If you want to see what the Baltimore Rock Opera Society is able to do with $10,000 and a lot of volunteer effort, check out Maryland Juice's Valhella video preview:

On my way to see Valhella, I stumbled upon a series of street murals in Charles Village, including one work in progress. The artist allowed me to photograph him at work (see below):

CHARLES VILLAGE STREET MURALS - BALTIMORE, MD 5/12/2012

DOCUMENTS: Maryland Special Session Budget & Tax Package Revealed // Public Hearings Scheduled on Monday 5/14

A Maryland Juice source has provided us with the proposed budget, revenue and bond items that the state legislature is taking up in a special session on Monday, May 14th. Below we provide copies of Senate & House versions of: 1) Budget Bill, 2) Revenue Bill, and 3) School Construction/Renovation Bond Bill.

The schedule for the hearings on these bills is as follows:

• House Budget & School Bond Bill - MON 5/14 at 1:00 PM - Room 120, 6 Bladen Street, Annapolis
• House Revenue Bill - MON 5/14 at 2:00 PM - Room 130, 6 Bladen Street, Annapolis
• Senate Budget, Revenue & School Bond Bills - MON 5/14 at 11:00 AM - 3 West, 11 Bladen Street, Annapolis

For information on how to testify, visit the the Maryland Assembly website. Below, we provide full copies of the bills in question:


Maryland House Budget Bill - 2012 Special Session  

RIPPLE EFFECT: U.S. House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer Reverses Course & Jumps on Marriage Equality Bandwagon

UPDATE: Rep. Steny Hoyer has released an official statement explaining his marriage equality endorsement:

Hoyer Statement on Marriage Equality

WASHINGTON, DC – House Democratic Whip Steny H. Hoyer (MD) released the following statement today after President Obama’s comments yesterday in support of marriage equality:

“One of the first votes I cast as a member of the Maryland State Senate in 1967 was to repeal the anti-miscegenation statute that remained Maryland law. It was a legacy of a discriminatory history of prejudice and segregation. It was my feeling then and now that individuals have a right to choose their partners, and society must accord them that freedom.

“We now confront a variation of that miscegenation issue, and that has been what to call the relationship between two people of the same gender. The word ‘marriage’ has held a specific meaning for centuries as the union between a man and a woman. But it has also meant, in a broader sense, a commitment of one person to another, recognized by each of them and by society.

“I have believed that the phrase ‘civil union’ was an appropriate definition of a relationship that is both different and the same between two people of the same sex. And I have believed strongly that such couples must be treated equally under the law.

“Because I believe that equal treatment is a central tenet of our nation, I believe that extending the definition of marriage to committed relationships between two people, irrespective of their sex, is the right thing to do and will not, in any way, undermine the institution of marriage so important to our society nor impose a threat to any individual marriage. It will, however, extend the respect due to every one of our fellow citizens that we would want for ourselves and our children.”

###

President Barack Obama's endorsement of marriage equality is already having ripple effects across Maryland (and the nation). The Hill tonight reports that Maryland Congressman Steny Hoyer has now come out in favor of marriage equality. Notably, Mr. Hoyer also serves as the U.S. House Minority Whip, making him the #2 Democrat in the House. See an excerpt from The Hill below:

THE HILL: A day after President Obama endorsed gay marriage, House Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer (Md.) followed suit.

Hoyer, a gay-rights supporter who had nonetheless supported the prohibition of gay marriage, said allowing same-sex couples the legal right to wed "is the right thing to do...."

The endorsement marks a shift for Hoyer, who voted in 1996 in favor of the Defense of Marriage Act, which prohibits same-sex marriage, and four years later backed "the traditional definition of marriage as a union between a man and a woman."

OUR MISSION ON TUESDAY NOVEMBER 6TH - VOTE FOR:

1. BARACK OBAMA
2. MARRIAGE EQUALITY 
3. DREAM ACT

Montgomery County PTA Leaders Defend Choice of 15-Year-Old Officer // Youth Leader Has Students' "Best Interest At Heart"

A few days ago, Maryland Juice wrote about the remarkable story of a 15-year-old Montgomery County student who was recently elected to the leadership of the countywide PTA (aka the MCCPTA). The Gazette reported:

GAZETTE: When Richie Yarrow stood up as a newly-elected officer of the Montgomery County Council of Parent Teacher Associations at its meeting last week, some members were shocked.

Richie is 15 years old....

He said he wants to bring a stronger student voice to the 48,000-member organization, which is, for the most part, parent-run.

“This is my education that is at stake, and I want to have some say in it,” Richie said....

Richie, a freshman at Richard Montgomery High School, served last year as the vice president of Eastern Middle School’s PTSA. He was also president last year of Montgomery County Junior Councils, the county’s organization for middle school student government.

REDEMPTION: Maryland Juice was disappointed to see some parents so quickly complaining about Yarrow's victory. But yesterday some grownups set the record straight with letters of support for student representation. The Gazette printed two letters from residents who are supportive of Richie Yarrow's service on the MoCo PTA. The first comes from the incoming President of the MCCPTA, Janette Gilman (see excerpt below):

JANETTE GILMAN:  Increased engagement in the Montgomery County Council of Parent Teacher Associations (MCCPTA) and our local PTAs by parents, school staff, community partners and students is a goal the organization has and will continue to encourage and nurture...

...all of our high schools and about half of our middle schools are Parent-Teacher-Student Associations that include student members....

Ritchie Yarrow's election as the Recording Secretary for the MCCPTA Delegates Assembly is an important step towards — and an important sign of — the progress this organization is making towards achieving the goal of student engagement.

The MCCPTA Board of Directors recently also acknowledged its interest in formalizing the role of student involvement by creating a new committee with that charter in March....

The second letter of support comes from a former MCCPTA Delegate Tom Brennan of Germantown (see excerpt below):

TOM BRENNAN: Congratulations to Richard Montgomery High School freshman Richie Yarrow for being elected to serve the Montgomery County Council of Parent Teacher Associations (MCCPTA) as Recording Secretary....

Although I have never met or spoken with Mr. Yarrow, having been a onetime delegate to the MCCPTA and having worked with past MCCPTA leadership, I am confident that he will bring a maturity to the MCCPTA that has been lacking for a long time.

It seems that the MCCPTA is still full of politics and personal agendas....

It wasn’t Mr. Yarrow who voted for someone he didn’t know anything about. He isn’t the one now complaining. And he isn’t looking to change the rules to protect himself from his own ignorance.

The board dynamic will change, if Montgomery County Pubic Schools are lucky. Mr. Yarrow’s presence may just force other board members to be better prepared with an understanding of each issue, better able to explain the issues and perhaps better prepared to vote smartly.

The schools and the MCCPTA will be served well by Mr. Yarrow. There will now be someone serving who wants to be there for the right reasons, has no personal long term agenda, and has no political motives. Mr. Yarrow will truly have the student population’s best interest at heart....

Now THIS is the MoCo I know and love....

Politicos Discuss Impact of President Barack Obama's Marriage Equality Endorsement on MD // PLUS: Obama in Baltimore 6/12

UPDATE: Maryland Juice has received further details on President Obama's upcoming visit to Baltimore on June 12th. El Presidente will be appearing at 1:15 pm at the Hyatt on Light St in Baltimore. RSVP: https://my.barackobama.com/June12BaltimoreReception?custom1=449618

HISTORY IS COMING QUICKER THAN YA'LL THOUGHT, EH? - Yesterday the nation's political consciousness received a kick in the pants from President Barack Obama's surprise endorsement of marriage equality. Indeed, Mr. Obama seems to have a decent read on the trajectory of history on this issue. But it should be obvious to everyone by now that marriage equality really is inevitable. There may be bumps along the road, but once again, the question for Democratic officials is: when it comes to change, are you going to be a shepherd or a gatekeeper? Last night, President Obama showed what kind of leader he hopes to be - *FIST BUMP* - How about you?

RETWEET

LAST WARNING TO OLD-SCHOOL DEMS: Last August, Maryland Juice noted that all of the 2014 Democratic candidates for Governor came out in favor of marriage equality. Indeed, we frequently note that within Maryland, being against marriage equality (or other civil rights measures) would likely hamper the careers of most candidates seeking statewide office. One day Maryland Juice may walk readers through the math of our State's political demography to illustrate this point.

It seems clear to me that Maryland is now a broadly liberal state (unusually so), and that many Democratic politicians outside of the big three jurisdictions (MoCo, PG, B'more) have not yet grappled with the opinion shifts within their own districts' primary electorates. The Lieberman effect (aka being more conservative than warranted by your district's partisanship) exists in many pockets of Maryland's Democratic Party. Maybe our elected officials watch too much Fox News or something. I dunno.

Dear public advocates: All of this means that in 2014 it'll be time to put some war paint on. As the generations shift and the demography continues to churn in The Free State, we will have to make our presence known through the Democratic Primaries. 2014 is as good a year as any to push this effort forward. Case in point: today, Maryland Reporter published a Maryland-centric discussion of Obama's marriage equality endorsement. Their piece noted some interesting dynamics for Democrats in the future:

MARYLAND REPORTER: According to Don Kettl, dean of the School of Public Policy at the University of Maryland, Obama’s support could galvanize opponents of same-sex marriage....

“This could be part of a much broader trend that might really separate the two candidates on social and economic issues that younger voters care about and begin to convince younger voters that maybe they ought to show up and vote at the polls after all,” Kettl said.

Obama’s confirmed support for same-sex marriage will likely have political ramifications into the future as well. With 2016 presidential buzz already surrounding O’Malley and New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who have both successfully spearheaded same-sex marriage legislation, Kettl adds that this could be a “watershed moment” for the Democratic Party.

“It will be increasingly difficult for any major Democratic national figure to not back gay marriage,” Kettl said. “In all likelihood, nothing will be the same after this.”

Below Maryland Juice provides a few additional responses from politicos:

REP. CHRIS VAN HOLLEN: OBAMA DID THE RIGHT THING - The Daily Beast last night published a video interview with Rep. Chris Van Hollen. In the clip below, they capture his reaction to President Obama's marriage equality endorsement:

GOV. MARTIN O'MALLEY: MARYLAND AGREES WITH OBAMA - NBC News yesterday ran Martin O'Malley's response to the Obama endorsement:

GOV. O'MALLEY: Today, President Obama affirmed that for a people of many different faiths -- a people who are committed to the principle of religious freedom -- the way forward is always to be found through greater respect for the equal rights and human dignity of all.

In Maryland, we agree.

Ultimately, we all want the same thing for our children: to live in a loving, stable committed home protected equally under the law.

REP. BARNEY FRANK: OBAMA ENDORSEMENT HELPS MD  - The Baltimore Sun yesterday published comments from Rep. Barney Frank about the Obama endorsement:

BALTIMORE SUN: U.S. Rep. Barney Frank said Wednesday night that one place President Obama's change of position to open support of same-sex marriage could have a significant impact is Maryland.

Frank, a Massachusett Democrat who is perhaps the nation's best-known openly gay elected official, said on MSNBC's Rachel Maddow Show that Obama's stand could be important in the state because the issue of same-sex marriage bill is expected to be a referendum question on the ballot in November.

Frank noted that Obama's former position -- favoring civil unions but opposing same-sex marriage -- was  used by opponents in 2008  in their succesful effort of reject gay marriage at the polls in California in 2008. Now, Frank said, opponents will be unable to use Obama's words against same-sex marriage in Maryland....

DC POLITICIANS APPLAUD OBAMA ENDORSEMENT - Even in neighboring Washington, DC (with its majority African American population - ahem), politicians praised President Obama's endorsement of marriage equality. [Sidebar: is the media feeding the GOP's narrative about racial divisions on this issue?]  DCist reported:

DCIST: In a tweet, Mayor Vince Gray thanked Obama and said that "bigotry should never be enshrined in our law."

In a statement, Councilmember David Catania (I-At Large), who is gay and quit the Republican Party in 2004 over its stance on marriage equality, thanked Obama while recognizing that his evolution on the issue was much like that experienced by other Americans....

Councilmember Mary Cheh (D-Ward 3) also joined in, saying that a "just society must provide equal protection to all of its citizens....

PRESIDENT OBAMA IN BALTIMORE ON JUNE 12TH - If you want to show President Obama some love for his re-election effort, you will have two opportunities to see him next month. The President's campaign arm, Obama for America, sent the following email invitation:

Juice –

I’ve got some exciting news to share: President Obama is coming to Maryland! On Tuesday, June 12th, he’ll be in Baltimore for two fundraisers for the campaign. This will probably be the only fundraiser the President does in MD for the entire election. If you’re planning on showing support to our President, THIS is the time to do it! Ticket prices range from $250 to $10,000. I hope you’ll be able to attend one or the other. And if you are interested in becoming a host for either event, please let me know and I can help set that up.

Get your tickets now – THIS WILL SELL OUT!

Reception with President Obama  
WHAT:                  Obama Victory Fund Reception with President Obama
WHERE:                Exact location TBD | Baltimore, MD
WHEN:                  Tuesday, June 12 | Exact time TBD
TICKETS:              $250 per person general admission | $1,000 per person includes premium section | $10,000 per person contribute/raise includes two premium reception tickets and photo
RSVP: https://my.barackobama.com/June12BaltimoreReception?custom1=449618

Lunch with President Obama
WHAT:                  Obama Victory Fund Lunch with President Obama
WHERE:                Home of Genine & Josh Fidler | Baltimore, MD
WHEN:                  Tuesday, June 12 | Exact time TBD
TICKETS:              $10,000 per person includes lunch & photo | $50,000 per person contribute/raise includes VIP clutch, lunch and photo
RSVP: https://donate.barackobama.com/page/contribute/o2012-June12BaltimoreLunch?custom1=449618

Thank you for all you do to support our President.

Jason Waskey
Maryland State Director
Obama for America

MORE ON MARYLAND MARRIAGE EQUALITY SOON!