Mae gets enough support for gay marriage referendum | Rters

Contents:

• FOC OF GAY-MARRIAGE FIGHT IS MAE
• MAE FAC HISTORIC CHOICE ON GAY MARRIAGE
• MAE VOT 'NO' ON GAY MARRIAGE
• MARYLAND, MAE, WASHGTON APPROVE GAY MARRIAGE
• MAE GETS ENOUGH SUPPORT FOR GAY MARRIAGE REFERENDUM
• MAE GAY MARRIAGE REFERENDUM: RULTS, UPDAT
• MAE GAY MARRIAGE LAW REPEALED
• GAY MARRIAGE SUPPORTERSAIMG FOR 2012 REFERENDUM
• GAY MARRIAGE SUPPORTERS PLAN REFERENDUM MAE
• FORMER SEN. SNOWE OF MAE SUPPORTS GAY MARRIAGE

FOC OF GAY-MARRIAGE FIGHT IS MAE

Instead, seems the strong sire of gay and lbian upl to be married, rather than clared domtic partners, shows the value and importance of marriage. Jt as the state of Mae would not ny the equal rights and protectns of the law to s other cizens, should not ny them to gay people who wish to build stable fai. If Maers vote to keep the law on the books and reject repeal, will be the first victory at the ballot box for gay marriage.

We do not believe that any harm n e om allowg gay upl the same fn that heterosexuals have for a life-long mment to another human beg.

MAE FAC HISTORIC CHOICE ON GAY MARRIAGE

Marc Mutty of the Y on 1 mpaign argued that Mills' statement is "a shamels polil ploy by supporters of homosexual marriage. ’" Addnally, officials said, "He supports ‘ensurg that mted gay upl have the same rights and rponsibili afford to any married uple this untry. ↑ Kennebec Journal, "Gay-marriage fo cricize AG's opn Y on 1 sists law would e tnal chang, " October 17, 2009.

↑ Mae Public Broadstg Network, "Complat Agast Gay Marriage Repeal Campaign Filed Wh Ethics Commissn, " Augt 26, 2009. Matt McTighe, speakg on behalf of the Gay & Lbian Advot & Defenrs stated, "We believe there's strong support for marriage Mae. Acrdg to a lumn wrten by wrer Bill Cleary, he argued the followg: "Des ago, homosexualy was still wily nsired a taboo subject.

So when I joed the partment, I wonred how a brotherhood so tight like that would be acceptg of someone who is gay.

MAE VOT 'NO' ON GAY MARRIAGE

Acrdg to the Bidford Journal Tribune: "As the bate ntu Mae, we hope rints will nsir their iends and neighbors who work, raise their children, pay tax and ntribute to this state, but who do not have the right to marry their partners and protect their fai, as so many of are able to do, simply bee they are gay. Mory Lear Ey Ca (D), who supported gay-marriage, stated, “Democrats believe the people of Mae mt ci this qutn. ↑ QT Salt Lake, "Mae petn gathers signatur to put gay marriage back on the ballot, " December 5, 2011 (ad lk).

(AP) — After wag years and seeg marriage rights nearly award and then retracted, gay upl Mae’s largt cy did not have to wa any longer on Saturday. Yet most polls show the two sis neck and neck, suggtg that gay upl here, as California last year, uld lose the right to marry jt six months after they gaed . Still reelg om last year’s feat California, gay-rights advot say a feat here uld further a perceptn that only judg and policians embrace same-sex Mae’s law is upheld, however, would be the movement’s first victory at the ballot box; voters about 30 stat have banned same-sex marriage.

Dilger for The New York TimConnecticut, Iowa, Massachetts and Vermont allow gay upl to marry, but urts and legislatur, not voters, ma possible. That strategy proved effective California, and even after Mae’s attorney general announced this month that the state would not require same-sex marriage to be tght, opponents have ntued raisg the of their televisn advertisements warns that Massachetts, where same-sex marriage has been legal sce 2003, some teachers answer “thoroughly and explicly” when stunts ask about gay sex.

MARYLAND, MAE, WASHGTON APPROVE GAY MARRIAGE

"The stak are very high Mae, no qutn about , " said Frank Schubert, who was hired by gay-marriage opponents Mae as their top strategist after he ordated the Proposn 8 mpaign last year California that repealed urt-orred gay marriage five other stat have legalized same-sex marriage, cludg four of Mae's New England neighbors, none has done wh the affirmatn of a popular vote.

Larry Bliss, an openly gay Democrat who moved many lleagu wh personal stori of raisg a fay as half of a same-sex uple. "Illumatg and rpectfulWhen the marriage bill was troduced, Baldacci argued that gay upl uld get need legal rights through civil unns, but his views evolved. Yet the No on One mpaign — which supports gay marriage — is welg volunteers om afar, and both sis are expected to report substantial out-of-state fancial ntributns when figur are released next on One's supporters clu the Human Rights Campaign and other natnal gay-rights groups.

Among other claims, the ads assert that "homosexual marriage" will be tght Mae public schools if Qutn One los. "What Frank Schubert is known for dog is g li to try to sre people, " said Geoff Kors, executive director of Equaly California, who hop a victory for his gay-rights alli Mae will bolster efforts to get another referendum on same-sex marriage California.

MAE GETS ENOUGH SUPPORT FOR GAY MARRIAGE REFERENDUM

The No on One lear is Jse Connolly, 31, who ran Baldacci's re-electn mpaign 2006 and whose father, while a legislator 1974, led the first attempt to pass a state law protectg gays om for Marriage's top lears are a generatn olr, both wh church backgrounds. 'Major ncerns'Among the most fervent mpaigners for gay marriage — workg the phon, nvassg face-to-face — are same-sex upl yearng for the right to Bishop, 62, and Steve Ryan, 56, who both work for a Portland-area low-e hog program, have been partners for 34 years and never before have vted so much time and money — more than $12, 000 so far — a polil mpaign. "Hop are so high the gay and lbian muny that will be vastatg if they mpaign seems so close, said Universy of Mae polil scientist Mark Brewer, that he wouldn't even gus at the oute.

4, 2009— -- In Mae, a referendum that would have allowedsame-sex upl to marry was voted feat is a setback for a gay-rights movement which has found New England most receptive to same-sex marriage recent measure was passed by the Mae legislature and signed by Democratic Gov. New York and the District of Columbia regnize same-sex marriag performed other stat but do not grant gay marriage opponents had succeed Mae, would have marked the first time voters overturned a gay-marriage law enacted by a legislature.

MAE GAY MARRIAGE REFERENDUM: RULTS, UPDAT

“We ma history and sent a powerful msage that we have tly reached a tippg pot on gay and lbian civil rights this untry, ” said Brian Ellner, head of the pro-gay marriage group The Four. His mpaign endorsed the gay marriage measur the three Maryland, the measure passed 52 percent to 48 percent. And Washgton, a gay marriage measure was approved 52 percent to 48 Mnota rejected a proposal that would have fed marriage solely as a heterosexual unn.

Supreme Court Esseks, director of the ACLU Lbian Gay Bisexual and Transgenr Project, lled the vot a “watershed moment” for gay and lbian fai. “Our opponents and some the media will attempt to portray the electn rults as a changg pot how Amerins view gay marriage, but that is not the se, ” Brown said a statement. Legislatur approved the change Vermont, New York and New this year, ballot iativ banng the legal regnn of same-sex marriage had succeed 31 stat, and no state had ever approved same-sex marriage by popular voters rejected gay marriage a referendum 2009 by 53 to 47 percent.

In Washgton and Maryland, where state legislatur prevly passed laws expandg marriage rights to gay and lbian upl, was up to cizens to ci whether to let the laws stand. (Rters) - Proponents of same-sex marriage Mae have gathered more than enough signatur to ask voters a November referendum to approve gay nuptials jt three years after they banned the ti of acceptance swells natnwi, gay marriage advot gathered more than 85, 000 signatur, far more than the requise 57, 277 signatur, Secretary of State Charl Summers said on Thursday. “It’s gog to be challengg, ” David Farmer, a spokman wh Equaly Mae, a gay rights group, told Rters on Friday.

MAE GAY MARRIAGE LAW REPEALED

“NOM tends to vigoroly fight this attempt by same-sex marriage advot to impose gay marriage Mae, ” the group’s print, Brian Brown, said a recent statement. Dpe this, opponents are likely to be able to gather enough signatur both stat to force a referendum on the issue November, said Michael Cole-Schwartz, a spokman for the gay rights group Human Rights upl n currently marry the District of Columbia, New York, Iowa and four New England stat, cludg Massachetts, Connecticut, Vermont and New California, opponents are askg the U. Court of Appeals for the Nth Circu to rensir s cisn to uphold a lower urt’s overturng of a voter-approved gay marriage ban.

*****CHECK BACK HERE TONIGHT FOR RESULTS********UPDATE 10:14PM*** Early returns show the vote is close:Gay marriage was put to a vote Mae on Tuday a closely watched referendum that gay-rights activists across the untry hoped would prove for the first time that their e n prevail at the ballot had to ci whether to repeal or affirm a state law that would allow gay upl to wed.

However, repeal - New England, the regn of the untry most supportive of gay upl - would be another heartbreakg feat for the marriage-equaly movement, followg the vote agast gay marriage California a year ago. ---Gay marriage was put to a vote Mae on Tuday a closely watched referendum that gay-rights activists across the untry hoped would prove that public opn is turng their favor. Turnout has been higher than expected, which analysts say favors supporters of same-sex had to ci whether to repeal or affirm a state law that would allow gay upl to wed.

GAY MARRIAGE SUPPORTERSAIMG FOR 2012 REFERENDUM

However, repeal -- New England, the regn of the untry most supportive of gay upl -- would be another heartbreakg feat for the marriage-equaly movement, followg the vote agast gay marriage California a year would also mark the first time voters had torpedoed a gay-marriage law enacted by a legislature.

John would have been the sixth state the untry to allow gay and lbian upl to marry, but stead be the 31st state to oppose the unns a popular 87 percent of preccts reportg as of 2 a.

Today, gay marriage opponents claimed 53 percent of the vote to supporters' 47 Mutty, mpaign manager for Stand for Marriage Mae which opposed gay marriag, claimed victory at a rally Portland jt after midnight. "Gay-rights activists had hoped Mae voters -- known for thier morate, pennt-md views -- would have been the first to endorse same-sex marriage a statewi ballot. In the five stat performg gay marriag – Iowa, Connecticut, Vermont, New Hampshire and Massachetts -- the practice took effect after legislatn or urt orr.

GAY MARRIAGE SUPPORTERS PLAN REFERENDUM MAE

Bee the end, this has always been about love and fay and that will always be somethg worth fightg for, " said Jse Connolly of the pro-gay-marriage group Protect Mae Equaly.

And I don't believe that [gay marriage] should be tght school, perd, " she opponents had strsed the ia, disputed by supporters, that public schools would beg teachg children about unns between same-sex upl if the law were allowed to stand. "Ellen Sanford McDaniel, 35, of Fairfield, Mae, said she's relieved the referendum passed, rejectg gay marriage.

"But gay marriage supporters, like Carole Cheeman Rso, 65, of Carmel, Mae, says this vote likely won't be the last on the matter. "No one my fay is gay – at least that I'm aware of -- but I jt don't thk anyone has the right to tell someone who they're allowed to love or who their allowed to marry, " she said.

FORMER SEN. SNOWE OF MAE SUPPORTS GAY MARRIAGE

7, 2012Voters Mae and Maryland approved same-sex marriage on an electn night that jubilant gay rights advot lled a historic turng pot, the first time that marriage for gay men and lbians has been approved at the ballot box. In Mae, sce their loss 2009, gay rights advot have been cultivatg public opn one-on-one nversatns, and this year sponsored their succsful repeat electn. In the fal week of the mpaign, the opponents of marriage rights, maly fanced by the Natnal Organizatn for Marriage and the Roman Catholic Church, mounted a barrage of advertisg and telephone appeals all four stat, tryg to nvce uncid voters that “refg marriage” would force schools to “teach gay marriage” and require bs and church to vlate relig groups have nounced those msag as misleadg sre tactics and say they do not seek to refe marriage but to end discrimatn.