Gov. Markell: Marriage equality might happen by 2013

According to an interview with Huffington Post reporters Amanda Terkel and Sam Stein, Gov. Jack Markell (D-Del.) thinks the time for marriage equality in Delaware could be as early as the coming session in 2013:

...in an interview at The Huffington Post's offices on Monday, Markell said he expected the legislature to work on it as soon as the next session.

"I think it probably will," he said.

Same-sex marriage is legal in six states and the District of Columbia.

Democratic governors in Maryland and New York, two states that recently signed marriage equality into law, took the lead on shepherding the bill through the legislative process and making it a key priority. (The law is not in effect in Maryland yet, pending the outcome of a November ballot referendum.)

Markell said he was willing to play a similar role in Delaware, although he said the real leadership will come from LGBT groups.

We have been building a grassroots network with Delaware Marriage Equality and other groups since November 2010, long before most people thought this was possible, and we now have thousands of supporters on our side. Let's help deliver Gov. Markell a legislature that will send a civil marriage equality bill to his desk next year. Support candidates who support marriage equality by making a donation today:

If you have not already signed the petition to legalize same-gender marriage, please add your name here.