It's going to be a wild 2012 election season, particularly with marriage equality on the ballot in several states including North Carolina, Minnesota, and Maine.
Maine, however, is probably the most interesting battle. The National Organization for Marriage and its allies actually defeated marriage equality via a referendum in 2009. There will be another referendum this year after supporters of marriage equality got enough signatures to the question on the ballot.
With that mind, I have two things to say - Remember how they lied in Maine to defeat marriage equality there in 2009 AND make sure everyone not only knows it but NEVER forgets it.
Remember the words of Marc Mutty, head of the 2009 anti-marriage equality campaign (from the documentary Question One: the Battle for Same-Sex Marriage in America):
It's all about hysteria and fear.
And here is something else to keep in mind. According to writer Ned Flaherty, the Roman Catholic Church has announced that it will not be taking an active role in the marriage equality fight in Maine. Flaherty writes:
Related post - How NOM wins - Creating doubt and fear about children
Maine, however, is probably the most interesting battle. The National Organization for Marriage and its allies actually defeated marriage equality via a referendum in 2009. There will be another referendum this year after supporters of marriage equality got enough signatures to the question on the ballot.
With that mind, I have two things to say - Remember how they lied in Maine to defeat marriage equality there in 2009 AND make sure everyone not only knows it but NEVER forgets it.
Remember the words of Marc Mutty, head of the 2009 anti-marriage equality campaign (from the documentary Question One: the Battle for Same-Sex Marriage in America):
It's all about hysteria and fear.
And here is something else to keep in mind. According to writer Ned Flaherty, the Roman Catholic Church has announced that it will not be taking an active role in the marriage equality fight in Maine. Flaherty writes:
Bishop Richard Malone, the sect’s top-ranking official in Maine, said on 2 March that his goal now is only to re-train the wayward 25% of Maine’s 187,306 Catholics. He said that the church “doesn’t want to impose a law or belief on anyone,” especially non-Catholic citizens, who comprise 86% of Maine residents, and 77% of all Americans. Maine voters will decide by ballot in November whether to write same-gender marriage into state law.
Historically, Roman Catholic officials have opposed virtually every regulation, policy, and law proposed to protect LGBT people nationwide. Toward that end, the church spent $1.9 million to repeal Maine’s new marriage equality statute in 2009, after the legislature and governor had already enacted it.
Friday’s historic retreat is the first of its kind for this religious sect, and is profound. Such changes are not made independently, and are always coordinated with higher church officials. The Diocese of Maine, located in Portland, is a corporation sole which reports to the Ecclesiastical Province of Boston, located in Boston, Massachusetts, which includes the states of Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Vermont.
How convenient that the Catholic Church makes this announcement after the Supreme Court refused to hear the National Organization for Marriage's challenge of Maine campaign finance disclosure laws.
Odds are that Maine is one victory that NOM is beginning to regret.
Related post - How NOM wins - Creating doubt and fear about children
Thanks for highlighting the connection between the surprising announcement about the Diocese not wanting to impose laws on others and the Supreme Court's refusal to hear the NOM appeal. Do you know when NOM will actually comply with the Maine court's order to reveal their contributors?
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