CLEVELAND — Maine and Maryland became the first states to back
same-sex marriage at the ballot box Tuesday night, buoying gay rights
advocates and breaking a years-long losing streak.
The
controversial issue had been before voters 32 times and had been
rejected every time. But activists said public opinion had shifted since
2008, when California passed a constitutional amendment reserving
marriage for heterosexual couples. A 2010 poll showed that, for the
first time, more Americans supported gay marriage than opposed it, and
in May,
President Obama endorsed same-sex marriage.
"When
the history books are written, 2012 will be remembered as the year when
LGBT Americans won decisively at the ballot box," Chad Griffin,
president of the
Human Rights Campaign,
said in a statement. "The dreams of millions of fair-minded Americans
were realized as discrimination crumbled and equality prevailed."
Advocates were also awaiting results of gay marriage initiatives in Minnesota and Washington.
Those who believe marriage should be between one man and one woman dispute that Tuesday's election changes anything.
"These
are really specific states," said Frank Schubert, a California
consultant who ran the traditional-marriage campaigns in the four
states. "The fact that an uber-liberal state like Maine or Washington
might go for same sex marriage, it doesn't mean that the country has
changed."
Maine's initiative, Question 1, had asked voters to
allow officials to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples. Just
three years ago, the state defeated a same-sex marriage bill at the
ballot box. But a lengthy campaign to change voters' minds persuaded
some Mainers, said David Farmer, spokesman for Mainers United for
Marriage.
"We've had more than 250,000 one-on-one conversations
with people; we are confident that those personal connections have
worked to move folks," he said earlier. With 64% of precincts reporting
late Tuesday, Question 1 held an eight-point lead and the Associated
Press projected its passage.
Maryland and Washington had been
considered toss-ups. In both states, the Legislature passed and a
Democratic governor signed a bill allowing same-sex marriage. And in
both states, opponents collected enough signatures for a referendum on
the law, putting it on hold in the meantime.
When Maryland upheld the law, 52% to 48%, it became the first state below the Mason-Dixon line to legalize gay marriage.
"Fairness
and equality under the law won tonight," said Josh Levin, campaign
manager for Marylanders for Marriage Equality. "We're sure to feel the
ripples of this monumental victory across the country for years to
come."
Washington state's website listed that state's referendum
with a lead, but complete results will not be available until at least
Wednesday. That's because the vast majority of voters do so by mail, and
have until election day to mail their ballots.
In Minnesota, if
voters side with gay-rights advocates, same-sex marriage will remain
illegal because of existing law. The current measure seeks to put a
same-sex marriage ban into the state's constitution. With half of
precincts reporting, the race was nearly even.
Before Tuesday
night, gay marriage was legal in the District of Columbia and six states
— Vermont, Connecticut, Iowa, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and New
York. But 30 states have constitutional amendments prohibiting it, and
11 more — including Minnesota — have laws banning it.
For some
voters, this election seemed eerily similar to 2008, when Obama was
running for president and an anti-gay marriage initiative was on the
California ballot. Obama won, but so did
Proposition 8,
which overruled a state Supreme Court decision and added an amendment
to the state constitution defining marriage as between one man and one
woman. In 2010, a federal judge rejected Proposition 8, but his ruling
is on hold pending appeal.
Los Angeles TV writer Jen Braeden, 32,
remembered the disappointment of 2008 and, earlier Tuesday, was wary
about the referendum in her home state of Maryland. Braeden, who lives
with her girlfriend of three years in Mount Washington, said she would
like to wed if same-sex marriage becomes legal in Maryland, but wasn't
ready to get her hopes up.
"I definitely think things are
changing. In 30 years, this will be a non-issue, like interracial
marriage," she said. "But national opinion is changing slowly, and as of
right now, I don't know if we're there yet."
Now, the battle
moves to other states. Lawmakers are prepared to introduce bills
protecting same-sex marriage in the legislatures of Illinois, Delaware,
Rhode Island and Hawaii.
"People on both sides feel strongly about
what marriage is," said Schubert, the campaign consultant. "From our
perspective, it doesn't matter what a state decides to call a
relationship. We'll continue to have this argument regardless."
source: latimes.com
