Seeking equal rights

Gay rights group reborn in Frederick 15 residents protest gay marriage ban proposal in Annapolis

Thursday, Feb. 16, 2006

Click here to enlarge this photo Bryan Haynes⁄The Gazette Bucky Murdorf of Frederick waves a sign in support of gay rights in Annapolis Monday night durng the Equal Maryland Rally. Murdorf is a member of Frederick’s recently revived PFLAG (Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays) chapter.

Murdorf is co-president of the GLBT group at Frederick Community College, one of the largest student organizations on campus with 36 members, he said. On Feb. 8, Murdorf attended the first meeting of Frederick’s chapter of PFLAG – Parents, Family and Friends of Lesbians and Gays — at the Unitarian Church south of Frederick city.

‘‘We hope to change some minds and create a better atmosphere in this slightly conservative place we live in, Frederick County,” Murdorf said.

The teen took his message on the road to Annapolis Monday, joining about 400 others from across the state, to rally for civil rights and against a proposed amendment to ban gay marriage in Maryland. Bundled up against the subfreezing temperatures, the group carried signs, sang songs of hope and listened to inspirational words from speakers such as Sister Jeannine Gramick from the National Coalition of American Nuns and New Ways Ministry, and U.S. Senate candidate Kweisi Mfume.

Mfume, former president of the NAACP, ditched his scripted remarks in favor of a rousing speech that criticized state lawmakers for endangering Marylanders’ civil rights with the gay marriage ban amendment.

Murdorf was among 15 Frederick County residents who made the trip for the late afternoon event, sponsored by Equality Maryland. The slight young man held his hand-written placard high as he jostled for position in the crowded square: ‘‘Central Maryland’s PFLAG Supports Equal Rights for Everyone.”

Five newly minted members of PFLAG also made the trip, led by Lois Jarman, a part-time French teacher. Her devotion to the cause is palpable; her energy boundless; her plans limitless.

‘‘I am not gay. I have no kids who are gay. But, I have very, very dear friends who are gay and they have every right in this world and this country to the same rights I have,” she said.

PFLAG’s Frederick chapter was active for several years before it dissolved in 1999.

Highly conservative Frederick County, Jarman said, is becoming more liberal. Evidence of that sea change, she said, is that Frederick city voters elected, by a wide margin, its first openly gay aldermen in November.

Alderman David ‘‘Kip” Koontz (D) took the oath of office on Jan. 12 at the Weinberg Center for the Arts, proudly sharing the stage with his long-time partner. His homosexuality was a ‘‘non-issue” in the campaign, he said, and obviously in the minds of the voters.

‘‘I do think that Frederick has come a very long way and that people across all political affiliations and ideologies are focused on the real issues ...it’s a fabulous thing,” Koontz said.

PFLAG plans to meet at 7 p.m., the first Wednesday of every month at the Unitarian Church on Elmer Derr Road. The first meeting drew a mix of people, from parents and friends to gay students and gay senior citizens. Jarman and Murdorf believe a youth group is critical.

On tap for PFLAG in the near future is a program on AIDS with representatives from Positive Influence, a support group for people with HIV.

The visit to Annapolis Monday pumped the local group up for more activism, Jarman said. She and other members are well aware that this is an election year for county and state officials, and they plan to make their voices heard on all issues related to civil rights and equal treatment under the law.

‘‘People argue for traditional marriage, but traditions change all the time ... yes, there is a conservative voice in Frederick, but it is not the voice of the entire county,” she said.