Maryland officially became the eighth state to legalize gay marriage today, after governor Martin O’Malley signed the Civil Marriage Protection Act to change Maryland law to allow “a marriage between two individuals,” rather than only between a man and a woman.

Six states currently issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples, and Washington state will join them in June. Eleven states allow domestic partnerships or similar arrangements.

The Maryland Senate passed the act, 25-22, Feb. 23, while the House of Delegates did as well six days earlier by a 72-67 vote. The new law will take effect Jan. 1, 2013.

After a same-sex marriage bill died in the House last year, delegates who supported the bill worked hard to secure a majority vote, delegate Susan Lee said.

“After a year, we’ve had time to educate individuals on the whole issue of marriage equality,” Lee said. “Some of the people who’ve given testimony are persons of the same sex who are in relationships and who have families and children. I think they put a face on the issue, so legislators saw whom it actually affected.”

State Senator Brian Frosh is the chair of the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee, which approved the bill Feb. 21 and sent it before the full Senate. He said that while senators were divided on the issue, their debate was not as tense as that of the delegates.

Senior Ken Wesley, GSA president, went to Annapolis Feb. 13 for Equality Maryland’s Lobby Day Rally, where over 500 marriage-equality advocates gathered outside the State House.

“It was a really good experience,” Wesley said. “I felt that I was actually working toward something I’m proud of.”

Same-sex marriage supporters in the House of Delegates considered opting for a civil unions bill but decided to push for approval of the full marriage bill instead. Marriage legally grants a couple many more rights than a civil union does, including inheritance, tax and medical decision rights. Maryland currently has no partnership option other than heterosexual marriage, though it does recognize out-of-state same-sex marriages.

For Lee, the decision to support marriage equality was not a difficult one.

“I feel very strongly that this is a civil rights issue,” she said. “The bill will allow all individuals to be able to get married and be in loving relationships with economic and legal protections for themselves and their families.”

Senior Sam Harman, a GSA member, said establishing equal rights for same- and opposite-sex couples is an important step in fostering tolerance.

“It shows that everyone is equal regardless of whom they love,” he said. “By having the law say that it’s okay for a woman and a woman or a man and a man to love each other, it reflects that our country is progressing and that homosexuality is becoming more of something that’s not shunned, which it never should’ve been in the first place.”

Maryland governor Martin O’Malley issued a statement Feb. 17 applauding the outcome of the House vote.

“Today, the House of Delegates voted for human dignity,” O’Malley said. “Love is an inalienable right.”

Delegate Kelly said she felt honored to support the Civil Marriage Protection Act.

“I ran for office to be able to help people, and I feel strongly that this bill will do just that,” Kelly said. “Voting yes on this bill was the proudest moment of my professional life.”

However, the gay marriage fight is likely to continue in the fall. Opponents received approval from the State Board of Elections Feb. 29 for the proposed language on a petition for a referendum. To enable voters to cast ballots on gay marriage this November, opponents will have to gather almost 56,000 valid signatures.