Maine was not the only place where voters decided on gay-rights issues. However, results elsewhere were much better for the LGBT community.
In Kalamazoo, Mich., voters passed Ordinance 1856, which alters the city's non-discrimination law to include LGBT individuals.
According to a press release from the Human Rights Campaign, 62 percent of the city's residents voted to uphold the measure, which a commission passed in June. Now, LGBT people in Kalamazoo are legally protected from discrimination related to employment, housing and public accommodations. The ordinance protects on the bases of sexual orientation and gender identity.
"I applaud the people of Kalamazoo for embracing equality for all," said Human Rights Campaign President Joe Solmonese. "Sexual orientation and gender identity have no place in employment decisions, access to housing, or public accommodations."
Jennifer Chrisler, executive director of the Family Equality Council, said in a statement that "Kalamazoo is a leading community in the fight for equality. This Ordinance ensures LGBT families basic protections such as the ability to secure a place to live or eat in a restaurant. It also enables that LGBT individuals can work and provide for their children and families without the fear of being fired for reasons unrelated to their job performance. The public's support for LGBT people and these basic protections is great for Kalamazoo and adds to the momentum towards full equality for all families across this country. Jon Hoadley did an outstanding job leading the charge and ensuring this passage of Ordinance 1856." Hoadley is the executive director of Stonewall Democrats.
There was actually more than one LGBT-related positive result in Kalamazoo as voters elected Kalamazoo's first openly gay city commissioner. Out candidate Terry Kuseske captured the last seat on the commission, according to MLive.com . According to the city's election rules, seven people win seats, with the person getting the most votes becoming mayor; in this case, mayoral incumbent Bobby Hopewell was re-elected. Kuseske, a member of the pro-LGBT group Kalamazoo Alliance for Equality, said he did not think the nondiscrimination ordinance had a part in his victory.
In Washington state, voters approved Referendum 71, a new measure that expanded domestic-partnership laws to include same-sex and some senior partners, by a 52 percent-48 percent margin, according to the Seattle Times. In a statement, Human Rights Campaign President Joe Solmonese said, "The people of Washington have rejected a mean-spirited attempt to rob some citizens of the protections that others receive. The passage of Referendum 71 assures that state-registered domestic partners will have the same financial and personal security under state law as their neighbors."
In Houston, Texas, lesbian City Controller Annise Parker is facing a Dec. 12 runoff to become mayor of the nation's fourth-largest city, according to the Houston Chronicle. Parker will face City Attorney Gene Locke, a former civil-rights activist who is aiming to become the city's second Black mayor. ( In the Nov. 3 election, Parker led a crowded field with 31 percent while Locke had 26 percent. ) According to her campaign Web site, Parker was on city council for six years and has been controller for the last five. Before working for Houston, she spent two decades in the oil and gas industry.
In Detroit, Mich., Charles Pugh—an openly gay African American—is the new city council president, according to PrideSource.com . During his acceptance speech, he thanked his uncle and his uncle's partner, who have been together for 38 years and helped raise him. Organizations, including Chicago's Coalition for Justice and Respect ( CJR ) , congratulated Pugh. In a statement, CJR Executive Director Marc Loveless said, "As a former Detroiter, my pride for Pugh is equal to the pride I share for the residents of the City of Detroit to not let stigma and prejudice get [ in ] the way of choosing the best person to bring the city around."
In Maplewood, Minn., openly gay James Llanas won a seat on the city council despite an apparent hate-mail campaign against him, the Minneapolis Star-Tribune reported. Among other things, a flier distributed earlier this year against read, "Llanas, a non-native of Maplewood, apparently spends much of his time in Minneapolis supporting gay politicians. How does this qualify him to run for Maplewood city council?" According to his campaign Web site, Llanas works for McHenry, Ill.-based Follett Software as a district sales consultant.
—Andrew Davis
