FSTDT Forums
Community => Politics and Government => Topic started by: Damen on February 26, 2012, 11:49:56 am
-
Calm thy groans, kids. It's not what you're thinking.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/02/24/usa-gaymarriage-maine-idUSL2E8DOBTR20120224 (http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/02/24/usa-gaymarriage-maine-idUSL2E8DOBTR20120224)
Feb 24 (Reuters) - Proponents of same-sex marriage in Maine have gathered more than enough signatures to ask voters in a November referendum to approve gay marriages just three years after they banned them.
As the tide of acceptance swells nationwide, gay marriage advocates in Maine gathered more than 85,000 signatures, far more than the requisite 57,277 signatures, Secretary of State Charles Summers said on Thursday.
Opponents have 10 days to challenge the signatures.
Maine's legislature passed a law legalizing same-sex marriage in 2009 but it was overturned that same year in a statewide referendum, 53 percent to 47 percent. Supporters say polls show they would now win a statewide vote by as much as 10 percent.
"It's going to be challenging," David Farmer, a spokesman with Equality Maine, a gay rights group, told Reuters on Friday.
"We've been working hard since 2009. We've spoken to 40,000 people one-on-one to change their minds and we believe those efforts will pay off," Farmer said.
Opponents of the measure say they are not surprised the measure will come to a vote again given how close the results were in 2009. No U.S. state has ever approved same-sex marriage in a referendum.
"It is unfortunate that citizens will be subjected to this divisive issue again," Bishop Richard Malone of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland said in a statement.
After recent victories for same-sex marriage proponents in Washington, California and Maryland, Maine will be one of a number of battleground states for national groups supporting and opposing same-sex marriage this year. North Carolina and Minnesota voters will consider constitutional amendments banning same-sex marriage this year.
-
Here's hoping. Just don't let Stephen King anywhere near the place while the vote's going on and everything should be cool. Weird (generally stupid) shit always happens when you let King near Maine.
-
Bet NOM will try to quash this as well.
Ironbite-it's funny to see that hate group operate...scary though.
-
*fingers crossed*