Posted on 11/04/2009 6:30:09 PM PST by markomalley
Stunned and angry, national gay rights leaders Wednesday blamed scare-mongering ads - and President Barack Obama's lack of engagement - for a bitter election setback in Maine that could alter the dynamics for both sides in the gay-marriage debate.
Conservatives, in contrast, celebrated Maine voters' rejection of a law that would have allowed gay couples to wed, depicting it as a warning shot that should deter politicians in other states from pushing for same-sex marriage.
"Every time the citizens have voted on marriage, they have always sided with natural marriage," said Mathew Staver, founder of Liberty Counsel, a Florida-based Christian legal group. "Maine dramatically illustrates the will of the people, and politicians should wake up and listen."
Gay activists were frustrated that Obama, who insists he staunchly supports their overall civil rights agenda, didn't speak out forcefully in defense of Maine's marriage law before Tuesday's referendum. The law was repealed in a vote of 53 percent to 47 percent.
"President Obama missed an opportunity to state his position against these discriminatory attacks with the clarity and moral imperative that would have helped in this close fight," said Evan Wolfson of the national advocacy group Freedom to Marry. "The anti-gay forces are throwing millions of dollars into various unsubtle ads aimed at scaring people, so subtle statements from the White House are not enough."
(Excerpt) Read more at cnsnews.com ...
There was no gay marriage vote in Washington state, only some odd domestic partnership garbage. Obviously, since they did not have the courage to try to bring gay marriage to a vote in a lib state like Washington, they must have realized that it would go the way the gay marriage vote went in Maine. Thirty one states have voted to say no to gay marriage, zero have voted yes.
Since there has yet to be a gay marriage vote in Washington, I’ll give them a pass for now. But I am glad the lib state of Maine voted to keep the definition of marriage what it has always been. Perhaps someday Washington will step up and do the right thing as well.
Keep fighting, Maine-iac. You have the best wishes and support of all good Freepers and conservatives everywhere.
Correction please: Tacoma is in Pierce County. Pierce County is one of the few western Washington counties that DIDN’T approve of the “Everything But Marriage” vote.
Sorry. I've flown into "SeaTac" so many times that I assumed. My bad.
Easy mistake to make. Pierce County is full of honorable military people, hence it being a sane county for me to reside in.
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