Maryland

A megachurch in Baltimore, Md., had an emotional service Sunday as Trayvon Martin's mother, Sybrina Fulton, hugged each parent whose children had been victims of "senseless violence."

At least a dozen women and men stood before the altar after the Rev. Jamal-Harrison Bryant of the Empowerment Temple church asked for anyone whose child had also been the victim of "senseless violence," The Baltimore Sun reported.

The congregation wiped tears and applauded when Fulton tightly embraced each mother, grandmother and father, and whispered in the ears of some. more >>

A priest critically wounded when a gunman opened fire at an Episcopal church in Maryland has been pronounced dead.

The Rev. Mary-Marguerite Kohn, co-rector of St. Peter's Episcopal Church in Ellicott City, was declared dead at Shock Trauma in Baltimore on Saturday night, Howard County Police announced Sunday.

The 62-year-old priest was on life support at Shock Trauma since Thursday night, when a homeless man, identified as Douglas Jones, opened fire with his handgun at her and the church's secretary, Brenda Brewington, who was declared dead at the scene. more >>

Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley signed into law Thursday a bill recognizing same-sex marriage, making Maryland the eighth state to do so.

O'Malley, formerly a vocal opponent of gay marriage, signed the bill at 5:00 p.m. local time in a ceremony.

"For a free and diverse people, for a people of many faiths, for a people committed to the principle of religious freedom," O'Malley said, "The way forward is always found with greater respect for the rights of all." more >>

A bill proposing tax breaks for mustachioed citizens has finally found an ally in Congress, says the American Mustache Institute.

Maryland Rep. Roscoe Bartlett, a 19-year Republican congressman, has officially sent the "Stimulus To Allow Critical Hair Expenses," or "STACHE Act," on to the House Ways and Means Committee, where all tax legislation must be studied before it can be debated on the floor.

"There is a long road ahead for this important legislation," said AMI Chief Executive Officer Dr. Abraham Jonas Froman in a statement. more >>

Gov. Martin O'Malley says he will sign Maryland's same-sex marriage bill into law on Thursday, reversing the stance on traditional marriage he has held for most of his political career.

O'Malley, a Democrat, publicly opposed same-sex marriage until about a year ago. Last month, he introduced the same-sex marriage bill as part of his legislative package.

"I think good leaders, who are progressive leaders, always try to be a force for building consensus that moves us forward," O'Malley said. "For a long time, I thought that consensus point was civil unions. I was mistaken, I misjudged, the public moved forward more quickly on this issue than I had thought we would as a people." more >>

Gay rights advocates have drawn a select group of religious leaders to support gay marriage in Maryland ahead of Friday's hearing for the "marriage equality" bill.

Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley has been drawing on the public support of a cherry picked group of leaders representing various faiths, including the Jewish, Catholic, Baptist and Protestant traditions, to make the argument for his 2012 gay marriage bill.

The Rev. Mariann Edgar Budde, bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington, supports the gay marriage bill and told Protestants and Episcopal followers Wednesday that the Bible should inform their decision to support initiative. The Old Testament scriptures, she explained in The Washington Post, "condemns exploitative sexual activity that is the antithesis of loving, committed relationships," not homosexuality. more >>