Turnover at EQMD

Equality Maryland has been the clearest, most public voice for LGBT Marylanders in recent years, thanks to the energy and leadership of its executive director, Dan Furmansky. Next month Furmansky is stepping down from that role, which he took on in 2003 after two years with the Human Rights Campaign.

The Washington Post this morning talks about his replacement:

Equality Maryland, the state's largest gay rights group, will resume its quest for marriage equality in Annapolis in January with a new executive director at the helm.

Kate Runyon succeeds Dan Furmansky, who is leaving to pursue consulting and writing projects. Runyon was interim director of the Michigan-based Triangle Foundation. She has extensive experience in leadership positions with faith groups, which are viewed by gay rights advocates in Maryland as a crucial constituency in building support for a bill legalizing same-sex marriage.

The bill did not reach the floor of the House or Senate in the General Assembly's 2007 session, although the legislature passed and Gov. Martin O'Malley (D) signed two laws giving same-sex couples rights to joint property ownership and medical decision-making. Advocates are steeling themselves for another fight next year.

"We're not going to stop asking for equal protection under the law," Furmansky said. Among the strategies advocates plan to use to sway lawmakers will be real stories of the hardships of life without a marriage license so lawmakers and their constituents "understand the tangibles," he said. Gay Rights Group Names New Executive Director

Runyon, who served in the Peace Corps, has been director of programming for Canterbury House, an Episcopal ministry to University of Michigan students, faculty and staff, and executive director of Oasis Ministry, an LGBT program of the Michigan Diocese of the Episcopal Church. She served as board member with the Michigan Coalition for Human Rights, and worked with the Greater Detroit Roundtable for Diversity and Inclusion through the National Conference for Community and Justice's Different People Common Ground, Leadership In the New Century and American Arab and Jewish Friends programs.