Supporters of same-sex marriage celebrate

Hundreds of same-sex marriage supporters cheered Wednesday morning when Gov. Martin O'Malley took the stage to declare victory on same-sex marriage.

"Every child's home deserves to be protected equally under the law," O'Malley said. 
He praised the groups who worked for same-sex marriage, saying they were "carrying the banner of human dignity" in "a noble battle to move Maryland forward."

Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake drew cheers as she thanked advocates for their persistence.
"Thank you for not giving in to all the BS," she said. "My daughter will grow up in a state that recognizes fairness and dignity."

Del. Luke Clippinger, one of the openly gay legislators who has led the charge for same-sex marriage, grinned as he surveyed the boisterous crowd. "Ain't the beer cold?" he said.

"We talked to our neighbors. We talked to our families. We talked to Republicans. We talked to Democrats. We talked to Libertarians. We talked to librarians," he said. "We told them what this means to us and our families."

Meanwhile, 30 miles south in Annapolis, opponents remained defiant. The Rev. Derek McCoy, who leads the main group that opposed same-sex marriage said: "We are not conceding as of yet."

He called the margin "razor thin," as volunteers at the Maryland Marriage Alliance headquarters wrapped up leftover food. He said he will wait for all the votes to be counted, including absentee and provisional ballots. "If we did not win, then we absolutely will concede," he said.