No on 1 campaign vows to fight onPORTLAND — Sharing hugs and tears, about 200 supporters of same-sex marriage gathered on the steps of City Hall this morning. It was a show of resolve following the statewide vote last night in which Mainers repealed the recently passed law that allows gay and lesbian couples to marry. Several leaders of the No on 1 campaign spoke to the crowd. They expressed profound sadness and hurt at the outcome of the vote, but vowed to continue the effort as long as it's necessary. "Are we disappointed? Yes. We feel deeply what happened to us last night," said Pat Peard, a longtime champion of gay rights. She thanked the 250,000 or so Mainers who voted to retain the law. "I assure you that we are going to build in the future to a bigger number," Peard told the crowd. "We will win this issue." Mainers voted to repeal the law by a tally of 53 percent to 47 percent. Peard and other leaders did not discuss specific plans for continuing the effort, but said they hope to continue the dialog with Maine residents that was sparked by the campaign. They said No on 1 volunteers had conversations about marriage equality with more than 200,000 residents over the past year. Mary Bonauto, an attorney and gay advocate who helped run the campaign, said many people are hurting today, including couples who have spent decades in committed same-sex relationships. "Here we are in a civil rights struggle. And what do we do in civil rights struggles? We pick ourselves up and we stay the course," Bonauto said. Only the legal recognition of same-sex marriage, she said, can provide the "equality, security, protection, and the dignity and respect that all families deserve." Copyright 2009 MaineToday Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Bookmark/Search this post with:
|
Delicious
Digg
StumbleUpon
Propeller
Reddit
Magnoliacom
Newsvine
Furl
Facebook
Google
Yahoo
Technorati
Icerocket
Twitter
Printer-friendly version
Send to friend
Comments
81% to 19%
wow
You are right Sam. I am so glad that we will see this made right before another generation passes.
The tide is turning. In fact polls show that voters under 45 approve of gay marriage. It is mostly those 65+ who drive the anti equality results.
Maine's constitution is very similar to Iowa's in how we frame equal protection under the law. I will not be at all surprised to see gay marriage made legal by a challenge to the Maine Supreme Court just as it was in Iowa.
The irony is that if that happens then town clerks and justices of the peace will have to perform ceremonies for gays if they want to keep their positions. If the gay marriage law had not been overturned they would have had the right to refuse since that was built in to the law that Maine just overturned.
The vote tally at the University of Maine:
No 81% Yes 19%
That is our future folks. Get used to it. There is no way the vote would have been anywhere near this close just 5 years ago and within 5 more years same sex marriage will be legal and will quickly become part of normal day to day life.
In ten years we'll be looking back at this and wondering what the fuss was all about, just as we now look back at segregation and laws against interracial marriages.
Pat Peard is head of the transsexual law practice at the ultra liberal Portland law firm Bernstein Shur. peard has every financial incentive to keep the issue going. The people of Maine, and this country have spoken. And it is telling people like her to sit down, shut up, stay away from our kids, stay out of our schools, we don't care what you want.
Give it a rest, the voters have said no and you lost. What part of no don't you all understand.
The right minded citizens of Maine are grounded and have spoken. Thank goodness for that. If you don't like it go live somewhere else. No one is infringing on your life here, but if you feel so badly about where you live this is a big country. Frankly making sexuality the focus of your day is boring and I would have thought by now you would have moved on to sometihng else. Go champion a cause that really needs fixing. For example start help generating some jobs or volunteer to feed and find suitable living for homeless people. Even as I am a lesbian this has become a boring issue. Live and let live means accept that marriage is between a man and a woman. Leave it alone.
maggie...two words; HA HA
We may have lost the battle but certainly have not lost the war. We won't be stopped by this one set back. It is the responsibility of every right minded citizen to fight intolerance and bigotry til their last breath.
The work goes on.
The cause endures.
The hope still lives.
And the dream shall never die.
I assure you that we are going to build in the future to a bigger number," Peard told the crowd. "We will win this issue'"
hey pat, you didn't so please for the love of mud please go away!!!!!!!!!