Maryland
Republican
Gov.
Robert
Ehrlich
last
week
appointed
a
gay
judge
to
the
Baltimore
District
Court.
Christopher
Panos,
47,
a
special
master
in
the
city’s
Circuit
Court
family
division,
lives
in
Baltimore
with
his
partner
of
17
years,
Dennis
Cashen,
and
the
couple’s
16-month-old
daughter,
Cate.
When
reached
by
phone
June
28,
Panos
said
he
was
unable
to
comment
publicly
pending
completion
of
the
legislative
appointment
process.
But
he
told
the
Baltimore
Sun
that
his
appointment
is
“indicative
of
social
progress
within
the
form
of
a
judicial
nomination.”
According
to
court
and
foundation
newsletters,
Panos
has
contributed
to
the
Women’s
Law
Center,
helped
review
state
custody
and
domestic
violence
laws
and
led
the
family
court
division’s
softball
team.
Panos,
who
still
must
be
confirmed
by
the
state
legislature,
could
face
some
resistance
from
Republican
lawmakers.
Republicans
challenged
the
appointment
of
Baltimore
District
Court
Judge
Halee
Weinstein,
a
lesbian,
in
2003.
She
was
confirmed,
and
became
the
state’s
first
openly
gay
judge.
Dan
Furmansky,
executive
director
of
Equality
Maryland,
urged
Ehrlich
to
support
Panos
if
his
appointment
is
also
challenged.
“Governor
Ehrlich
certainly
has — or
has
had — staffers
who
are
gay
or
lesbian,
so
my
hope
is
that
Governor
Ehrlich
shares
the
belief
of
most
Marylanders
that
sexual
orientation
is
not
relevant
when
choosing
someone
for
a
job,”
Furmansky
said.
The
announcement
of
Panos’
appointment
came
just
days
before
Ehrlich
officially
announced
his
bid
for
re-election.
Some
political
observers,
including
Furmansky,
said
the
appointment
was
an
attempt
to
appeal
to
moderate
voters
in
a
predominantly
Democratic
state.
“I
think
we’re
seeing
an
election
year
Ehrlich,”
Furmansky
said.
“Everyone
who
follows
politics
knows
the
name
of
the
game
is
‘move
toward
the
center’
for
all
candidates.”
Mindy
Daniels,
a
D.C.
attorney
who
specializes
in
gay
rights,
said
Panos’
appointment
is
a
step
forward
for
Maryland
gays.
“I
think
that
a
high-profile
appointment
like
that
shows
that
you
can
be
out
and
still
be
very
successful
and
that
hopefully
this
is
the
rule
rather
than
the
exception,”
she
said.
Daniels
emphasized
that
Ehrlich
named
Panos
to
the
bench
because
he
is
qualified.
“I
think
it’s
important
to
note
that
he
didn’t
get
appointed
because
he’s
gay,”
she
said.
“He
got
appointed
despite
the
fact
that
he’s
gay.”
Conservatives
slam
choice
Some
conservatives
denounced
the
governor’s
appointment
of
an
openly
gay
man
to
the
bench,
while
others
saw
the
move
as
an
effort
by
Ehrlich
to
court
moderate
voters.
“I
am
dismayed
and
in
total
disbelief
that
the
governor
would
appoint
a
gay
judge,”
Del.
Donald
H.
Dwyer
(R-Anne
Arundel
County)
told
the
Baltimore
Sun.
“I
certainly
hope
he
knows
what
he’s
doing
in
light
of
the
upcoming
elections
in
November.”
Dwyer
introduced
a
constitutional
amendment
to
ban
gay
marriage
in
the
state,
which
was
defeated
earlier
this
year.
He
also
introduced
a
resolution
March
7
seeking
to
remove
Baltimore
Circuit
Judge
M.
Brooke
Murdock
from
the
bench
after
she
ruled
that
a
law
banning
same-sex
marriage
in
the
state
is
unconstitutional.
The
measure
was
defeated.
Ronald
V.
Miller
Jr.,
a
personal
injury
lawyer
with
Miller
&
Zois
in
Glen
Burnie,
Md.,
said
Panos’
sexual
orientation
shouldn’t
be
a
concern.
“This
is
a
big
story
because
Judge
Panos
is
openly
gay,”
Miller
wrote
in
his
blog.
“I
look
forward
to
the
day
when
this
is
not
a
story.
I’m
convinced
this
day
will
arrive
but
we
are
clearly
not
there
yet.”
Miller,
who
is
straight,
said
in
an
interview
that
good
lawyers
will
treat
Panos
the
same
way
they
treat
any
other
Baltimore
District
Court
judge.
“We’re
trying
to
get
the
best
outcome
we
can
for
our
clients,”
he
said.
“The
last
thing
we’re
worrying
about
is
the
sexual
orientation
of
the
judge
making
the
decisions.”
Furmansky
also
said
Panos’
sexual
orientation
shouldn’t
be
a
concern.
“I
think
that
in
Maryland,
the
consensus
is
that
the
best
person
for
a
job
is
the
best
person
for
the
job,”
he
said.
Political
pandering?
The
judicial
appointment
was
made
one
week
after
Ehrlich
fired
a
Maryland
representative
on
the
Metro
board
of
directors
for
making
anti-gay
comments.
Robert
J.
Smith
referred
to
gay
men
and
lesbians
as
“sexual
deviants”
during
an
appearance
on
a
Montgomery
County
cable
access
television
program.
Miller
said
Panos’
appointment
and
Smith’s
firing
were
“politically
prudent”
moves
by
Ehrlich.
He
noted
that
Ehrlich,
who
supports
a
constitutional
amendment
defining
marriage
as
between
a
man
and
a
woman,
is
looking
to
woo
moderate
voters.
“I
think
we’re
seeing
a
revised
Ehrlich
until
the
election
this
fall,”
Miller
said.
“I
think
our
old
friend
will
return
to
us
if
he
should
prevail
in
November.”
Furmansky
said
Ehrlich
must
do
more
if
he
wants
to
win
over
gay
voters.
“The
gay
community
has
a
firm
line
in
the
sand
about
placing
our
rights
up
for
a
popular
vote,
and
writing
us
out
of
the
constitution,”
he
said.
“Ehrlich
supports
those
actions,
and
as
long
as
that’s
the
case,
I
can’t
imagine
any
substantial
portion
of
the
LGBT
community
voting
to
re-elect
the
governor.”
