Kinda of funny how things turn out when you actually let people vote on issues instead of steam rolling them over us.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20091104/ts_nm/us_gaymarriage_maine_4


PORTLAND, Maine (Reuters) – Voters in Maine on Tuesday overturned a law allowing same-sex couples to wed, dealing a fresh setback to the U.S. gay marriage movement in a race that attracted national attention.

The law was approved by Maine's Legislature in May but was not implemented after opponents gathered enough signatures to put the issue to a "people's veto."

With 87 percent of precincts reporting, votes to reject the law were running at 52.75 percent to 47.25 percent, according to unofficial tallies from the Bangor Daily News.

Frank Schubert, chief organizer of the "Yes on 1" campaign to reject same-sex marriage in the state, claimed victory early on Wednesday, although his opponents refused to concede.

Connecticut, Iowa, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Vermont are the only U.S. states where a same-sex marriage law is on the books. In each instance, the laws were approved by legislatures and judges, not by popular vote.

Citizens in some 30 states before Maine voted against same-sex marriages.

The referendum in sparsely populated Maine was thrust onto the national stage, attracting large levels of funding and battle-hardened strategists.

The outcome is "further evidence that although voters have shown tolerance toward same sex couples, they draw the line at marriage," said Jeff Flint, a partner with Schubert Flint Public Affairs in Sacramento, who worked on California's "Yes on 8" campaign in 2008. "They feel marriage is different."

Groups in favor of traditional marriage prevailed in Maine even though they were outspent two-to-one by the "No on 1" groups, Flint said.

The push to repeal got powerful help from Portland's Catholic Bishop Richard Malone, who spoke out repeatedly against the legalization of same-sex marriage. About 37 percent of Maine's population is Roman Catholic.

STATE OF THE UNIONS

Several U.S. states have statutes sanctioning various kinds of civil unions for same-sex couples.

But those do not carry many of the same legal protections as actual marriages, such as the ability to share healthcare benefits with a partner, or inheritance rights.

"There were real inequalities in terms of Maine's statutes. Civil unions did not equal civil marriages," Maine Governor John Baldacci, a Democrat, said on local television of his decision to support the gay marriage law.

Maine's initiative was closely followed after California's bitter same-sex marriage fight in 2008. Proposition 8 upended a state Supreme Court ruling that same-sex couples have a constitutional right to marry.

Some of the best known national gay and lesbian rights groups would like to wait and watch before attempting to turn back Proposition 8.

But John Henning, executive director of the group Love Honor Cherish in Los Angeles said Maine's vote was likely to catalyze grass-roots action in several states.

"It will light a fire under activists and be a reminder that we all had our right to marry taken away in California," he said.

Don't you think Democracy has to be something more than 2 wolves and a sheep sitting around trying to decide what's for dinner?

The people have spoken

"The people" are often wrong.

I don't really see what the big deal is on letting gay couples marry. It's not like it's any harm to anyone in doing so. But I do know it's the bible bangers that have the problem with it. Why is it such a problem to let human beings be happy?

The people also spoke and massacred the Native Americans and took their land. The people spoke and enslaved African Americans. The people spoke and made women property of their husbands. The conservative people in Germany spoke and elected Hitler. The people of Europe spoke and persecuted Jewish people. etc.The people have often been wrong



Gay and Lesbian people will eventually have the same rights everyone else has. Just as they do in a lot of other countries.

To tell you the truth, it never really bothered me. It's not my business. It's not like you are forced to watch the wedding or attend. I can see the primary reason has to do with how taxes effect married vs. non-married and property laws. I talked to a few gays around here when I fixed their houses, they were telling how much difference it makes and it could be in many many thousands of dollars, not to mention if they break up, the property they owned together can be settled much easier.
A gay couple had a house and one of them died in cancer so even though his partner also put a lot of money into it, and due to the laws, the property had to go to the passed guys' parents estate and the other guy got nothing out of it. That's not fair, anyway you look at it.

This issus is not about bible bangers.This is about our elected officals passing serious laws with out the public having a vote on it.The only states that allow gay marriage allow it because it was written into law by a politician and not by the vote of the people.In fact out of the 31 states that did do a public vote on gay marriage every one did not support it.Our Government was never supposed to have laws by politicians playing big brother because they think they know what is good for us.

You can blame the bible thumpers,the right wingers or what ever scapegoats you want.But it doesn't change the fact that out of 31 states you have both Democrats,lilberals,Atheists,and others voting on a majority to keep marriage between a man and a woman.

Why is it such a problem to let human beings be happy?Because you are making the majority of human beings unhappy by calling they racists,homophobes,bible thumpers,and passing laws that the majority of the people do not want or support.

This issus is not about bible bangers

^you're wrong that's exactly what it's about, self righteous ******** who believe their beliefs are etched in stone, personally I'm a heteosexual, but who am I to question love, matter of fact who is anyone on here, they apparently haven't gotten it right thus far....It amazes me how many self righteous ******** wioll dictate who can marry in the name of God and yet those very same ******** will fight to the death to continue killing unborn fetuses.....Want to really be heard, stop all these fat cats in washington from robbing you blind and putting cameras on every corner. This is no longer the country of the free, but a country of dictators, those who have make the rules and those who don't must follow them...

Even if that is true(which it isn't)are you saying just because someone is a Christian they don't have the right to vote?Are you saying that all people who don't believe in religion are all in favor of gay marriage?What about countries like China where the offical religion is Atheism and yet homosexuality isn't tolerated.For the record I have never read or heard any Christians saying they want to prevent anyone from loving each other.I doubt even in this day and age you are going to find any Christians saying they would sign laws preventing people from loving each other.




This is about rogue laws and politics with laws being passed by attrition.This is about a small group of people saying everyone who opposes us is evil,un educated,racist,and cold hearted.Even if I was split down the middle on the issue I surely wouldn't support a group of people who throw the will of the voters down the toilet and call them names and spred lies.Is this really the road America should be heading?Votes don't matter anymore and it's only right because I say so?



This is not a country run by a dictatorship nor is it a country govern by the laws of the bible or churches.It is a country full of people from every religion,every country,and every race.2/3's of the United states have voted on this issue and they have always said no.So maybe it is you who have the problem and maybe it is you who need to look in the mirror,read about the history of this nation and figure out why 2/3's of Americans think the way they do.

This is about rogue laws and politics with laws being passed by attrition

^you're joking right?...it's done everyday on capitol hill...be serious, and your second point is about as moot as your first, yes the country is made up of many different cultures and races, creeds, whatever, but only a few make all the decisions...In this case the people finally got their vote counted, unlike the first Bush election.....Who is to say who is right and who is wrong, what you do behind closed doors with your significant other is of no concern of mine.....as I said earlier everyone wants to be self righteous about all the wrong things...Instead of being homophobic or standing against what you personally loathe, how about standing up for the rights afforded those by the constitution, because they are being severly violated each and every day, in every city and state.

if you're gay in Maine you can do anything you want behind closed doors

except be married

They should've let us vote..lol

if you're gay in Maine you can do anything you want behind closed doors

except be married

^Duh, we gathered that, it's what the discussion is about.....

here is my problem with all of this, same as the helmet law for motorcyclists. In Pa. I can ride without a helmet, I go to Jersey and have to put one on....Now say a gay couple is married legally in another state and they get a job promotion in Maine. Why then would their marriage be nul and void.....if you're going to pass laws make them universal.

For now...this issue will not go way. The gay community and those of us who are strait and believe in life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness for ALL will not let it go. It is not over yet..it will never be over!

I agree marriage should be the same throughout the country.

And who cares who people want to marry (of age and consent)except someone who definitely has their nose where it doesn't belong

it's just not time yet

the GLB have been gaining slow acceptance

just the fact that we are even having these referendums tells how far they have come. twenty years ago it would have been unheard of

fifty years ago the idea of it would have been the fodder for jokes


give em twenty to fifty years and it'll be a done deal

Then you have to amend the constitution. Good luck trying to repeal the 10th amendment.

Wouldn't have to repeal it, just amend it, like all the other amendments.


Make marriage a federal law like others we have and it would work much better.

31 for 31...