MAINE: (with 98% reported)
REJECT SAME-SEX MARRIAGE LAW?
Yes = 52.78%
No = 47.22%'
The latest tally from Bangor Daily News on the anti-gay referendum known as Question 1. This result indicates that legalized same-sex marriages in Maine have been rejected by the public by a small, but solid margin.
In May of this year, the Maine legislature voted to approve of same-sex marriages, and Governor John Baldacci signed it into law. More than half of the voting population turned out today to cast their ballots on this issue in what is called an "off-election" year. The National Organization for Marriage and the Catholic Archdiocese were primary organizers and funders of Maine's anti-gay marriage effort. (Bangor Daily News)
Last November, California voters approved Proposition 8 an initiative that overturned the right of gay and lesbian couples to be married in that state, and deeply felt anger over the loss led to nationwide protests. It's not clear how GLBT Americans and their supporters will react to the Maine decision -- whether they'll be charged up again or go numb from battle fatigue.
It's likely that Washington, DC will be the next locale to wrestle with same-sex marriage opponents. The DC City Council just concluded a two-week public hearing on the matter. Ten of the 13 Councilmembers have already signed on to support the measure. Many of the opponents to gay equality stated that they will now lobby the US Congress in an attempt to block DC's own Council representatives from exercising DC's own Home Rule. Brian Brown of the National Organization for Marriage testified at the hearing, as did representatives for the Archdiocese of Washington and Catholic Charities who said in no uncertain terms that they would not provide spousal benefits to legally married gay employees nor would they provide adoption or foster services to married gay couples. (Metro Weekly)
''We're not short timers. We're in for the long haul. We will regroup. This is about love and commitment and family, and so we'll stay the course. And I ask you to stay the course with us.''
Jesse Connolly, head of the ''No on 1'' which lost its effort tonight to retain the legal right to same-sex marriages in the state of Maine. (Boston Globe)
