It has been quite some time since I have updated my blog. The unemployment rate and economic status of the nation has had me working especially hard to ensure the job I have remains the job I have, as jobless rates continue to rise in California. Between all the news of President Obama’s health care reform, American journalists being freed from North Korean jail and Iranian political unrest, a little thing we call equality has slipped under the radar. This time we return back to the state of Maine, where just a few months ago, its state legislature passed a marriage equality law. Thanks to Facebook, Maine’s Prop 1 has been brought to my attention. In the news of the world, it seems that in headline reading, this proposed ballot measure has somewhat slipped under the radar in the past week.
On July 31st, opponents of marriage equality provided 100,000 signatures to Maine’s state government in a bid to put a measure on the next ballot to overturn the state legislatures’ marriage equality law signed in May 2009. Named “Prop 1,” if approved, the measure would return Maine to a “domestic partnership” state. Maine officials have until early September to validate at least 55,087 signatures, but efforts from both sides of marriage equality are beginning.
Opponents of marriage equality have hired the same public relations group that led California’s Prop 8 victory. Yes, this is dejavu. In doing a bit of research on Prop 1, it seems that some citizens supporting marriage equality believe that equality will be upheld and it will simply strengthen the legislature’s own measure and validate equality in the state. Opponents to equality are singing the same ol’ song they sing in every state, “The foundation of our society is marriage between a man and woman.” We all know the story from Prop 8 last year.
It feels like marriage equality has become of a game of Battleship. B12; hit. H5; miss. C8; miss. J2; hit. It is up and down, win and defeat. This makes me wonder if this is why even the general press did not report heavily on this finding. Perhaps it is too early. It may be because I do not live in Maine. Doing a general online search for “Prop 1″ or “Maine Prop 1″ brings up more results about Prop 8 then the new issue in Maine. Someone better hire a SEO specialist!
Time to sink another ship. Maine; Prop1; hit; sunk!
For the record, NO on Prop 1 means you support gay marriage. YES on Prop 1 means you support inequality. Yep, this is Prop 8 all over again. Taking 75% of the time just to make sure people understand what a yes or no vote ACTUALLY means. Let’s hope this time everyone gets it right!
More information can be found at www.MaineFreedomToMarry.com, which has released the video below.
Popularity: 1% [?]
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September 13th, 2009 at 10:48 pm
To the author of this blog:
I just wanted to thank you for making things clear.
I am one of the 18k club in California. I married my partner (of 10 years) just three days before the November, 2008 election.
We had planned a small wedding of family and friends. But as the election got closer, we feared the outcome and ran to the courthouse like a shotgun wedding.
It was a bittersweet day. Though we finally had the right to marry, we were forced to do it swiftly—almost secretly—for fear of impending hate at the ballot box. From what I hear, Maine Same-Sex couples don’t even have that option.
I can’t express how it feels to know that your private rights can be ripped away by a majority vote, and how it feels to wake up the day after an election, turn to your spouse and say, “Are we still married?”
I can, however, express my gratitude for your support. Now that the same group that pushed the Prop 8 lies on the CA voters has arrived in Maine for an encore.
I beg the voters of Maine; please SHOW us Californians (and NOM) that Mainers are a little wiser. That you respect fellow citizen’s rights, and aren’t gullible enough to fall for the lies and the fear.