Attorney General Douglas F. Gansler of Maryland is considering recognizing gay marriages performed outside of his state, according to the Associated Press.

Gansler, a Democrat, supports same-sex marriage, even though Maryland defines marriage as between a man and a woman. However, legal observers say the state also has a longstanding tradition of recognizing marriages performed elsewhere.

Maryland’s Governor Martin O’Malley, on the other hand, is a Democrat who supports civil unions. While he and the General Assembly have extended a number of rights and benefits to gay and lesbian couples, The Baltimore Sun reports, they have stopped short of endorsing same-sex unions.

An opinion on Gansler’s intended recognition of same-sex marriages is expected within a few weeks. If Maryland chooses to recognize gay marriages performed in other states, it will join New York and Washington, D.C., which both give rights and benefits to couples married outside of their jurisdiction.

Maryland Senator Richard S. Madaleno, who’s openly gay, echoed Attorney General Gansler’s thoughts. In reference to Maryland’s lack of civil unions and the failed attempts to legalize same-sex marriage in the state, Madaleno also said, “You can’t understate the significance of being married. People in our state get married every day, and to be denied the ability to do that is very dispiriting.”