A Maine ballot referendum to repeal a pending same-sex marriage law passed by a small majority in a statewide election Tuesday, marking the 31st state to reject same-sex marriage in a public vote.
While supporters of same-sex marriage lament the result of Tuesday’s vote, which saw 53 percent vote “yes” to repeal the law and 47 percent vote “no,” opponents claim that Maine citizens’ decision is part of a revealing trend that says Americans are not comfortable with legalizing same-sex marriage.
“This was a stunning win, but it just goes to show that even if people don’t want to tell their neighbors, in the secrecy of a voting booth their real opinions about homosexual marriage come out,” Christian Coalition of America spokesman Jim Backlin said.
Same-sex marriage proponent and political blogger Mike Tipping said after hard-fought campaigns, the decision fell only to the people.
“I think the ‘no on referendum one’ campaign has been run incredibly well,” he said before polls closed Tuesday. “What it is really going to come down to is what part of the electorate turns out to vote.”
The “NO on 1” campaign spent roughly $4 million in order to get the vote out, according to protectmaineequality.org.
Tipping also said Maine is a “liberal state” that lacks a strong religious voice.
The “yes on referendum one” campaign, headed largely by Maine’s Catholic community, emphasized that legalizing same-sex marriage would allow homosexuality to be a subject of discussion and education in public schools.
“[Proponents of same-sex marriage] want homosexuality to be considered equal to heterosexuality by force of law,” MassResistance spokesman Brian Camenker said. “This means that kids need to be taught in school that homosexual marriage is normal.
“There are not even that many homosexuals who are interested in getting married,” he said. “It’s not about marriage. It’s about forcing this idea of equality on society.”
National Organization for Women Vice President Bonnie Grabenhofer said such views “completely distort the issue.”
“Even if one couple wanted to get married, why should they be denied that right?” she said.
She said same-sex marriage was a simple civil right.
“It is about equality and fairness,” she said. “Discrimination has no place in our country and denying same-sex marriage is discriminatory.”
Grabenhofer said the result of this vote was a disappointment and a setback for same-sex marriage, but she said, “I believe we will eventually achieve it.”
Bryan Fischer, American Family Association director of issues analysis, said the result shows Americans still tend to believe in “traditional” marriage.
“Gay activists have underestimated the fact that ordinary Americans are hesitant to move away from the traditional understanding of marriage, whether they are religious or not,” he said.
Massachusetts Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Task Force spokeswoman Sue Hyde disagreed. She said the issue of same sex marriage has been “very lively” in the U.S. for about 15 years now and that in Massachusetts same sex couples have been getting legally married for the past few years.
Dan Hawes, the LGBT Task Force’s field director, said Tuesday’s loss was by no means the end of the fight.
“Any movement for equality has its victories and its losses,” he said. “We have to learn from the losses and persist until full equality is realized.”
Maine rejects same-sex marriage legalization
Published: Thursday, November 5, 2009
Updated: Thursday, November 5, 2009
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