Same-sex marriage forces seek 1st poll win
Irene Huskens, right, and her partner, Leia Burks, sit on the front porch of their home in Bowie, Md. on Oct. 4, 2012. / AP Photo
BOWIE, Md. Irene Huskens has the wedding venue picked out: a charming bed-and-breakfast in southern Maryland. But the wedding is no sure thing.
The plans made by Huskens, a 43-year-old police captain, and her partner, Leia Burks, hinge on whether Marylanders make history on Nov. 6 by voting to legalize same-sex marriage. A "yes" vote, and the wedding is on. A "no" victory? Huskens is loath to consider it.
"There are a lot of Marylanders who want to set the precedent of equality who will vote from their gut for fairness," she said at her colonial suburban home in Prince George's County, where she and Burks are raising two adopted children.
Dating back to 1998, 32 states have held votes on same-sex marriage, and all 32 have opposed it. Maryland is one of four states with Nov. 6 referendums on the issue — and gay-marriage advocates believe there's a strong chance the streak will be broken.
In Maryland, Maine and Washington, it's an up-or-down vote on legalizing same-sex marriage. In Minnesota, there's a measure to place a ban on gay marriage in the state constitution, as 30 other states have done previously.
Groups supporting same-sex marriage, which has been legalized by court rulings or legislative votes in six states and the District of Columbia, are donating millions of dollars to the four campaigns. They're hoping for at least one victory to deprive their foes of the potent argument that gay marriage has never prevailed at the ballot box.
"Our opposition uses this talking point with elected officials and in courtrooms," said Chad Griffin, president of the Human Rights Campaign. The national gay-rights group is contributing more than $4.4 million to the four state campaigns.
"If we're able to win one of these four, it will be a narrative change — proof that the public has moved our way dramatically," said Griffin.
Opponents of gay marriage expect to be outspent in the four states, perhaps by more than 2-to-1 overall, yet they remain hopeful their winning streak can be preserved.
"We definitely can win all four if we can increase the fundraising," said Brian Brown of the National Organization for Marriage, which has pumped more than $2 million into the campaigns against gay marriage. Its TV advertising is just beginning, including in the expensive markets that reach Marylanders in the Washington, D.C., suburbs.
"We do have a big hill to climb to be able to effectively communicate our message," Brown said. "But we don't need to match the other side — we win repeatedly while being outspent."
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All four states are expected to be carried in November by President Barack Obama, who came out in support of same-sex marriage earlier this year.
In Maryland, as in Maine and Washington, the most recent polls show a lead for the supporters of same-sex marriage. But comparable leads in other states — notably in California in 2008 — evaporated by Election Day, and Josh Levin, manager of the Marylanders for Marriage Equality campaign, expects the final result to be extremely close.
Levin and his allies are aware that Maryland, because its polls close earlier than Maine's or Washington's, could become the first state to approve same-sex marriage by popular vote.
"We cannot take it for granted," Levin said. "That being said, if we make it happen in Maryland, the lessons learned here can be applied across the country."
The campaign has been intensifying in recent weeks, widening rifts among Maryland's most prominent Catholics, among black clergy, even among NFL teammates. Baltimore Ravens linebacker Brendon Ayanbadejo has endorsed same-sex marriage; center Matt Birk wrote a newspaper column opposing it.
The divide among Catholics — the state's largest denomination — has been striking. Archbishop William Lori and the Maryland Catholic Conference are actively campaigning against same-sex marriage. Catholic VIPs supporting it include Gov. Martin O'Malley and former Lt. Gov. Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, daughter of the late Robert F. Kennedy.
In both Maryland and Washington state, voters are being asked to approve or reject a same-sex marriage bill passed by the legislature earlier this year. In each case, opponents were able to collect enough signatures to challenge the laws.
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As for the point about it not damaging mental health. Tell that to the parents of teenagers who have taken there own life through depression due to having the whole "you'll burn in hell" rammed down their throat, or feeling rejected from society because of the way they have been made.
I don't understand why you are so bothered by equal marriage, it doesn't effect anyone's beliefs or religion, based on the fact that if your against it, you will remain doing so.
For the Gay community it runs deeper than simply financial/immigration/health benefits. It levels the antiquainted views that gay men and women are somehow second class citizens.
As many of the extreme religous viewpoints are "pro life", surely this extends to "quality of life" for everyone, or is this another example of choosing what fits? Seriously for those of us who do not place all our expectations on a book written by people we never met, that doesn't reflect anything forward of the last 2000 years, this does genuinely worry me.
And finally as for your previous thread "homosexuality is an abomination" I, like many are hoping the future of homosexuality will be An Obama Nation.
Needless to say, I totally disagree with you about religion causing more damage to young people's mental health than teenage bullying. I think the way that many children are being raised today with NO religion and no upbringing and parents doing their own thing and not taking time for their children is what's damaging the young people. The kids today need MORE religion in their lives not less!
And as for your question about whether I advocate stoning, NO I DO NOT! There's another scripture that I'm going to give you and it's not just another scripture! It's one of the TEN COMMANDMENTS. It's Exodus 20: 13 "Thou shalt not kill."
Also the Bible teaches to follow the laws of the land and the last time I checked murder was still illegal in all 50 states! You liberals will probably be trying to change that next though!
Furthermore what about the one that says to kill everyone who works on Saturday? Half the country breaks the 10 commandments every week. Stop picking and choosing and then cramming it down the throats of people who don't even share your superstitions.
Anyway, bible-based bigots are still bigots. It's time America has awoke to the fact that religious people attempt to socially control others, and always have. This is not about their right to do that, it's about our rights. The current awakening will continue without harm to the religious nuts. How does my gay marriage affect your straight marriage? Is there some INSECURITY you have in your marriage you're blaming on me?
The Prop 8 case has already made it to the Supreme Court so, according to Rick Santorum's playbook, we've already won. I've fought the republican machine for the last tweleve years and I'm proud of every step towards progress we've made. I'm proud that gays and lesbians can serve openly in the military RIGHT NOW. That's here to stay. I'm proud we have an American President who affirms our right for Equality. California, a state which hosts 1-in-8 Americans, now majoritively supports same-sex marriage. 20% of America already has Equal Marriage. You've lost this one bible-thumpers, and I couldn't be happier and more proud of all my people and GLBT supporters. Thank you.
A marriage should be between a man and a woman! Not two men and not two women!
The day that the United States approves gay marriage will be the day that this country becomes no better than Sodom and Gomorrah. In fact sodomy is one of the reasons that God's judgment was pronounced on Sodom and Gomorrah and they were destroyed!
If you wish to believe what you believe, if you wish to live your life by the rules of your church, then do so. Try looking up LUKE 6:37 , Romans 2:1 , and Mathew 7:1.
Marriage is referred to in several sections of the Code of Hammurabi (6th king of Babylon) 1,772 years before Christ. It was largely a matter of property law, and in many cultures it has been and continues to be a matter of parental arrangements and financial considerations.
The Roman Catholic church managed to exist for another 1,500 years before it took on marriage as a church sacrament following the 24th session of the Council of Trent in 1556.
Those are facts. You can look them up yourself. A zealous minority of people are trying to impose their point of view on everyone else. Do not let that happen. Vote no on the marriage amendment.