Baltimore mayor speaks at ‘victory’ party

Sultan Shakir, campaign manager for Marylanders for Marriage Equality, with Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake. (Blade photo by Steve Charing)

Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake urged an enthusiastic crowd of about 100 on Feb. 26 to work hard to fight the upcoming referendum that would undo the Civil Marriage Protection Act.  The legislation was to be signed into law by Gov. Martin O’Malley on March 1.  The event had been billed as a “Marriage Equality Victory Party” that was sponsored by Marylanders for Marriage Equality. It took place at Club Hippo.

Sultan Shakir, campaign manager for the organization; Baltimore Dels. Maggie McIntosh and Luke Clippinger; and Carrie Evans, executive director of Equality Maryland, also addressed the crowd. They credited O’Malley for helping to win the vote in the House of Delegates.

There had been some criticism of the party by some community members believing that a victory celebration is premature given the referendum battle ahead. But Shakir disagreed.

“I think in any effort it really is important to celebrate any milestone,” he told the Blade.