Voters in the State of Maine repeal Marriage Equality - Washington's Referendum - 71 Update

With the defeat in the State of Maine, our interview with Mr. Vanderpool is being delayed until tomorrow.

Equality Maine has yet to issue any official press release, but the Associated Press has quoted several other organization, mainly the ones who repealed the law.

Echoes of Prop 8 as Maine Voters Repeal Marriage Equality in their State

Defeat in Maine a Harsh Blow to Gay-Marriage Drive

With the defeat in the State of Maine, our interview with Mr. Vanderpool is being delayed until tomorrow.  One activist holding a sign (pictured) explains it all.

We remain thankful Kentucky voters do not have the power to override the Legislature, and even the Governor once a bill becomes law; we must lobby our lawmakers in Frankfort, get it passed in both the House and Senate, and then get the Governor's signature.  

• Could you imagine if we got a statewide non-discrimination equality law law passed in Kentucky and then the voters repealed it?   
• What about when we overturn the 2004 Constitutional Amendment banning same-sex marriage (which in Kentucky, we will have to do as described above). 
  

Equality Maine has yet to issue any official press release, however, the Associated Press is reporting:

The stars seemed aligned for supporters of gay marriage. They had Maine's governor, legislative leaders and major newspapers on their side, plus a huge edge in campaign funding. So losing a landmark referendum was a devastating blow, for activists in Maine and nationwide.

In an election that had been billed for weeks as too close to call, Maine's often unpredictable voters repealed a state law Tuesday that would have allowed same-sex couples to wed. Gay marriage has now lost in all 31 states in which it has been put to a popular vote -- a trend that the gay-rights movement had believed it could end in Maine.

Brian Brown of the National Organization for Marriage, a conservative group that steered substantial funds to fight gay marriage in both California and Maine, was elated by Tuesday's result, saying it shows that "that even in a New England state, if the voters have a chance to have their say, they're going to protect and defend the commonsense definition of marriage."  

The situation is now similar to that of California, where gay marriage was legalised but the right was withdrawn in November 2008 by the state's voters.

Gay marriage is legal in five states – Vermont, Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Iowa – but this right has been granted by courts or legislature, rather than voter preference.

Washington's Referendum - 71 Update

Things look promising in the State of Washington for their expanded domestic-partnership rights, but official results will be unknown for days.

Nearly all of the state’s voters now vote by mail and ballots only need to be postmarked by Election Day, but are not counted by Election Day (a strange concept for Kentuckians to grasp; I cannot even imagine how this could work), so many ballots won’t actually be counted until Wednesday or Thursday.