Windy City Media Group Frontpage News

THE VOICE OF CHICAGO'S GAY, LESBIAN, BI, TRANS AND QUEER COMMUNITY SINCE 1985

home search facebook twitter join
Gay News Sponsor Windy City Times 2023-12-13
DOWNLOAD ISSUE
Donate

Sponsor
Sponsor
Sponsor

  WINDY CITY TIMES

Maine Battle Too Close to Call at presstime
NEWS UPDATE 11 p.m. Nov. 3, 2009
by Lisa Keen, Keen News Service
2009-10-28

This article shared 4761 times since Wed Oct 28, 2009
facebook twitter pin it google +1 reddit email


Portland, Maine—With 60 percent of precincts reporting, Maine voters appeared to be giving a slight edge to the campaign to retain a marriage equality law in that state.

As of 10:30 central time the night of Nov. 3, 51.58 percent of voters had voted "No" on Question 1, 48.42 percent had voted "Yes."

The campaigns for and against the state's equal marriage law have been underway since May when the legislature passed and the governor signed the new law enabling same-sex couples to obtain marriage licenses the same as straight couples. Ballot Question 1 asked voters if they would like to repeal that law.

Many political observers have praised the "No on 1" organization for running a well-oiled campaign, headed by Maine natives with considerable experience in Maine politics. Heading that campaign was Jesse Connolly, a 31-year-old straight married father, the son of a state political veteran, on leave from his job as Chief of Staff for the Maine Speaker of the House. Connolly also ran the successful 2005 campaign to vote "No" on a ballot measure seeking to repeal the state's recently passed law prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation. The "No" vote won 55 percent to 45 percent.

The key focus of "No on 1" from the start was identifying voters who would vote "No" and making a concerted effort to get those voters to actually cast their ballots—either by absentee ballot, early voting or on election day. Activists from as far away as Hawaii came to Maine in the last days of the campaign to help with that basic door-to-door canvassing of voters.

Tambry Young, co-chair of the Family Equality Coalition of Hawaii, said she came to Maine last Wednesday because "at some point, we need to stand up and say, 'We need to do the right thing.'"

But the "Yes on 1" campaign had considerable visibility throughout the state—with a plentiful supply of yard signs posted along many roads and streets, where maybe one "No on 1" sign appeared. At one busy intersection in Portland Tuesday, five "Yes on 1" activists stood on the median and hoisted "Yes on 1" placards, yelling "Vote Yes on 1—No Homosexuals!" In the sea of yellow and blue "Yes on 1" yard signs surrounding them in the intersection were two "No on 1" hand-painted signs.

On one occasion, a car zipped by and a woman yelled out the window, "I voted no!" But many cars honked and their drivers waved, seeming to signal agreement with the "Yes on 1" position.

Voter turnout was much heavier than expected. The secretary of state had predicted about 25 to 35 percent of registered voters would turn out, but by mid-afternoon, he revised that to 50 percent or more. At 4:30 p.m. in the Civic Center—the largest polling place in the state capital of Augusta—there were large numbers of voters in line to cast their ballots.

The vote in Maine over a newly passed marriage equality law was the dominant story for most election coverage on referenda measures around the country. Many political observers saw it as a political compass for which way the country's mood was heading on equal marriage rights for gay couples.

It was one of seven ballot measures on an otherwise light ballot in Maine, with no major political offices up for grabs. The secretary of state noted that the usual turnout for an off-election year is about 15-25 percent but he was expecting 35 percent.

There was a tremendous push for last-minute funding in Maine. An e-mail sent out at 10 o'clock on Monday morning asked for another $25,000 in donations to pay for television ads to counter the "Yes on 1" campaign's last-minute television buy. "No on 1" supporters sent in $68,000 before the bank closed that day.

"Never did we think over 1,200 people would give a gift today," said Jesse Connolly, campaign manager for the "No on 1" effort.

"I have never seen a campaign that has had this many volunteers from so many walks of life," said Rea Carey, executive director of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force. Carey was in Maine Nov. 3 helping with the get-out-the-vote effort. She said her door-to-door team included an older straight woman from Portland and a young woman from New Hampshire.

Mary Bonauto, too, thanked straight allies "who made this fight their own." Bonauto, who lives in Maine, was a key leader with Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders in winning legal battles for marriage equality.

"California was a wake-up call," said Carey. "Many people became determined that if they had another opportunity to step up, they would step up and Maine has been that opportunity."

The latest ad by the "Yes on 1" group flipped through a number of newspaper clippings and official-looking documents at a rapid-fire pace while a female voice urgently warned that gay activists "are already pushing their agenda in Maine schools." A radio ad warned that gay activists and their supporters will "push it on students."

One of the key advocates for repealing the Maine marriage-equality law was in Washington, D.C., on Monday, trying to persuade the city council to reject a marriage equality bill there. Brian Brown, head of the National Organization for Marriage

Ramifications beyond Maine

There were some critics of President Barack Obama's lack of effort around the battle in Maine.

Longtime gay Democratic activist David Mixner put it most bluntly on his blog: "President Obama and his team were zero help in this critical battle and in the last week might actually have hurt us."

In fact, in February 2008, as the Democratic primary battle was in full swing, Obama ( who was a candidate at this point ) released an open letter to the LGBT community saying, "As your President, I will use the bully pulpit to urge states to treat same-sex couples with full equality in their family and adoption laws. I personally believe that civil unions represent the best way to secure that equal treatment. But I also believe that the federal government should not stand in the way of states that want to decide on their own how best to pursue equality for gay and lesbian couples—whether that means a domestic partnership, a civil union, or a civil marriage."

But at a national Human Rights Campaign dinner in Washington, D.C., Oct. 10, the president had nothing to say about Maine or Washington State explicitly; instead, he said, "I believe strongly in stopping laws designed to take rights away and passing laws that extend equal rights to gay couples."

And some days later, at an appearance at the University of Maine on Oct. 23, U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder, when asked by a reporter about Maine's Question 1 specifically, said that he and Obama "are of the view it is for states to make these decisions."

The White House offered no comment in regards to Mixner's criticism.

Others were critical of Organizing for America, the successor organization to the Obama for America campaign. As blogger Joe Sudbury at americablog.com posted Monday, Organizing for America emailed Maine voters on Monday, urging them to get to the polls but said nothing about Question 1.

"Progressives in Maine are working their butts off to save marriage equality. The Democratic Governor of the State, John Baldacci, signed the marriage law, which passed the Democratically-controlled House and Senate. Baldacci and mebers of the legislature have been campaigning tirelessly to save the new law from being repealed. Yet, OFA, an arm of the Democratic National Committee, couldn't even say: Vote No on 1," wrote Sudbury.

Joe Solmonese, president of the Human Rights Campaign, said, "I do think that [ President Obama ] was wrong—that neither he nor the Democratic Party spoke out" against the Maine ballot measure.

"I'm disappointed in his failure to speak out on this issue," said Solmonese on Obama. "He did speak out against Proposition 8 and it did influence people. … I think when he talked about using the bullypulpit, that's what we expected he would do."

HRC gave about $300,000 to the campaign effort and had "about a dozen" people "on the ground" in Maine to help the "No on 1" campaign.

Waiting in Washington

In Washington State, where voters are being asked to decide whether to keep a newly passed domestic partnership law, the result is not likely to be known for several days. Voting in that state is done entirely by mail—though voters can drop off their ballots in person, too—and voters can postmark their ballots as late as anytime Tuesday.

Dave Ammons, a spokesperson for the secretary of state's office, said the office would begin posting results at 11 p.m. ET Tuesday at www.vote.wa.gov . But he added that they would have "probably no more than half of the expected total vote counted by the end of the evening."

©2009 Keen News Service

Be sure to check WindyCityMediaGroup.com for updates of these elections.


This article shared 4761 times since Wed Oct 28, 2009
facebook twitter pin it google +1 reddit email

Out and Aging
Presented By

  ARTICLES YOU MIGHT LIKE

Gay News

Thailand parliament passes landmark marriage bill 2024-03-27
- On March 27, Thailand's parliament approved a marriage-equality bill by an overwhelmingly large margin—a landmark step that moves one of Asia's most liberal countries closer to legalizing same-sex unions, media ...


Gay News

NATIONAL Va. marriage bill, AARP, online counseling, Idaho items, late activist 2024-03-21
- Republican Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin signed bills protecting same-sex marriages at a state level, surprising some, WRIC reported. The bills—passed out of both chambers along mostly party lines—will require clerks ...


Gay News

Greek legislature approves marriage equality 2024-02-15
- Greece has become the 36th country, and the first Christian Orthodox-majority one, to legalize same-sex marriage. The BBC reported that same-sex couples will now also be legally allowed to adopt children after the 176-76 vote that ...


Gay News

Tenn. legislators back bill that lets officials refuse to perform same-sex weddings 2024-02-15
- Defying a national ruling that authorized marriage equality, Tennessee lawmakers approved a measure that would allow public officials to refuse to perform weddings of same-sex couples, The Hill reported. Tennessee's House Bill 878/Senate Bill 596 says ...


Gay News

WORLD Marriage in Greece, UK politics, cruise death, HRC grants 2024-02-02
- The Holy Synod of the Church of Greece unanimously agreed at a recent meeting that it is "strongly opposed" to the Greek government's promised bill on same-sex marriage and adoption, Balkan Insight reported. The conservative New ...


Gay News

NATIONAL Marriage news, fighting fentanyl, anti-LGBTQ+ crimes, Grindr 2024-02-02
- The Virginia House of Delegates passed a bill that would affirm marriage equality in the state, The Washington Blade noted. House Bill 174, introduced by state Del. Rozia Henson (D-Prince William County), passed in the Democratic-controlled ...


Gay News

WORLD Activist honored, marriages in Estonia, Madrid law, trans sports item 2024-01-05
Video below - The National AIDS Commission (NAC) recently honored Caleb Orozco—a leading figure in the fight for LGBTQ+ rights in Belize—for his instrumental contributions to the national HIV response, BNN reported. According ...


Gay News

Catholic Church allows priests to bless same-sex couples but reaffirms disapproval of gay marriage 2023-12-22
- LGBTQ+ couples can now receive blessings from priests, but the Catholic Church maintained its strict ban on gay marriage, according to a Vatican document approved by Pope Francis Dec. 18. This historic change in doctrine marks ...


Gay News

Greek government vows to back marriage equality 2023-12-22
- Despite opposition from the Church of Greece and within the ruling New Democracy, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis' government said it will eventually move to legalize same-sex marriage, The National Herald reported. However, no timetable was ...


Gay News

Dignity/Chicago welcomes new rule on church blessings for same-sex marriages 2023-12-18
--From a press release - Dignity/Chicago, the advocacy organization for LGBTQI Catholics and friends, welcomed the news that the Vatican's doctrinal office has officially declared it possible for Catholic priests to bless same-sex unions and ...


Gay News

New Ways Ministry: Pope's blessings approval is Christmas gift to LGBTQ+ Catholics 2023-12-18
--From a press release - MOUNT RAINIER, Maryland—Statement by Francis DeBernardo, Executive Director, New Ways Ministry: Pope Francis gave LGBTQ+ Catholics an early Christmas gift this year by approving blessings for same-gender couples. The Vatican ...


Gay News

Pope Francis changes policy, allowing priests to bless same-sex unions; GLAAD responds 2023-12-18
--From a press release - GLAAD: "By removing barriers to priests blessing LGBTQ couples, the Pope accurately recognizes that LGBTQ people and our relationships are worthy of the same affirmation and support in the Church, and this strengthens couples in their ...


Gay News

LGBTQ+ couple the first in South Asia to have marriage recognized 2023-11-30
- Transgender woman Maya Gurung and Surendra Pandey became the first LGBTQ+ couple to have their marriage legally recognized in South Asia after they received a legal certificate in Nepal's Lamjung district on Nov. 29, The Guardian ...


Gay News

WORLD Thai marriage law, French bill, Miss Universe, IKEA, activist dies 2023-11-24
- Thailand Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin said that the cabinet approved a draft law on marriage equality and that it would be brought to parliament during a session starting in December, Reuters reported. If the draft law ...


Gay News

Pope: Trans people can be baptized and act as godparents 2023-11-09
- Pope Francis has stated that trans people may be baptized and act as godparents or witnesses to marriage under the same conditions as any other adult—as long as a scandal does not result, according to PinkNews. ...


 


Copyright © 2024 Windy City Media Group. All rights reserved.
Reprint by permission only. PDFs for back issues are downloadable from
our online archives.

Return postage must accompany all manuscripts, drawings, and
photographs submitted if they are to be returned, and no
responsibility may be assumed for unsolicited materials.

All rights to letters, art and photos sent to Nightspots
(Chicago GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times (a Chicago
Gay and Lesbian News and Feature Publication) will be treated
as unconditionally assigned for publication purposes and as such,
subject to editing and comment. The opinions expressed by the
columnists, cartoonists, letter writers, and commentators are
their own and do not necessarily reflect the position of Nightspots
(Chicago GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times (a Chicago Gay,
Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender News and Feature Publication).

The appearance of a name, image or photo of a person or group in
Nightspots (Chicago GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times
(a Chicago Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender News and Feature
Publication) does not indicate the sexual orientation of such
individuals or groups. While we encourage readers to support the
advertisers who make this newspaper possible, Nightspots (Chicago
GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times (a Chicago Gay, Lesbian
News and Feature Publication) cannot accept responsibility for
any advertising claims or promotions.

 
 

TRENDINGBREAKINGPHOTOS







Sponsor


 



Donate


About WCMG      Contact Us      Online Front  Page      Windy City  Times      Nightspots
Identity      BLACKlines      En La Vida      Archives      Advanced Search     
Windy City Queercast      Queercast Archives     
Press  Releases      Join WCMG  Email List      Email Blast      Blogs     
Upcoming Events      Todays Events      Ongoing Events      Bar Guide      Community Groups      In Memoriam     
Privacy Policy     

Windy City Media Group publishes Windy City Times,
The Bi-Weekly Voice of the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Trans Community.
5315 N. Clark St. #192, Chicago, IL 60640-2113 • PH (773) 871-7610 • FAX (773) 871-7609.