Marriage Equality wins at the ballot for the first time

[Pint0 Xtreme]

I just got a YES ON 1 victory email. Polling indicates a win in Maine. Washington and Maryland are also looking very good.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/0 ... 1352246326

[Grandmaster Jogurt]

It's amazing how much difference a few years makes. Hopefully the progress continues at least as well as it has, because a lot more states are going to open up to marriage equality if it gains a few percent each year.

[Connor MacLeod]

YEAH! its doing well so far in Minnesota. Keeping my fingers crossed things are going well

Edit: I mean the 'no' side is doing well that is. I need to really think about how I phrase these things.

[Pint0 Xtreme]

Word is that we won in Maryland as well!

[Dominus Atheos]

It's won in Washington.

[Connor MacLeod]

Is it me or has the link gone all weird? I keep trying to get results but its not showing them properly.

Edit: I just got it working again and that margin has shrunk.. fuck. I'm so hoping this damn amendment doesn't pass in MN

[Pint0 Xtreme]

The Advocate

Maryland Officially Becomes Gay-Marry-Land
The heavily Democratic state was among the first to affirm marriage equality at the ballot box, with voters upholding the state's same-sex marriage law by a vote of 57% to 42%.

UPDATE: On November 6, Maryland voters made history by becoming one of the first in the nation's history to affirm marriage equality at the ballot box.

Throughout the evening's election returns, Maryland's Question 6 maintained a strong lead, but the final tally saw Marylanders uphold the state's marriage equality law with 57.9% of the vote in favor, 42.1% opposed, according to Politico.

“Today the marriage equality map expands to Maryland, giving thousands more loving couples the opportunity to make lifelong commitments through marriage," said Human Rights Campaign president Chad Griffin in a statement. "This is a milestone night for the simple truth that when Americans are presented with the real lives of their friends and neighbors, they have no choice but to vote for their equality.It is the momentum reflected in poll after poll that shows a growing majority for marriage equality across the country.

“This victory in Maryland has been hard fought from the legislative fight to a massive campaign operation and we are so proud to have been leaders alongside our state partners in this effort," Griffin continued.

“Governor O’Malley has been a champion of this issue and deserves the appreciation of all fair-minded Americans. His leadership, along with groups like the NAACP, have shown that at the end of the day human dignity wins out and that in this country we can have no second-class citizens or second-class marriages."

In March of this year, Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley signed into law a marriage equality bill that had successfully passed through both chambers of the state legislature. But before the law could take effect, opponents gathered enough signatures to refer the issue to voters with a referendum, which appeared on Maryland's ballot as Question 6.

Maryland voters saw Question 6 appear on the ballot under the title "Civil Marriage Protection Act." The question read: "Establishes that Maryland's civil marriage law allows gay and lesbian couples to obtain a civil marriage license, provided they are not otherwise prohibited from marrying; protects clergy from having to perform any particular marriage ceremony in violation of their religious beliefs; affirms that each religious faith has exclusive control over its own theological doctrine regarding who may marry within that faith; and provides that religious organizations and certain related entities are not required to provide goods, services or benefits to an individual related to the celebration or promotion of marriage in violation of their religious beliefs."

POLLS
While polling consistently indicates a tight race to protect marriage equality in Maryland, the most recent snapshots offered an optimistic outlook. A Washington Post poll from October 18 found marriage equality had a 9-point lead, with 52% of likely voters in favor of equality and 43% saying they oppose the proposed law. While that margin wasn't big enough to guarantee victory, many pundits' eyes were on the African American community, which makes up about a quarter of Maryland's electorate and which turned out in force to help reelect Barack Obama. African American voters are typically Democratic, and polls indicate that support for marriage equality among black Americans has been steadily rising since the president announced his personal support for marriage equality in April. The Baltimore-based NAACP followed suit 10 days later. A Baltimore Sun poll of likely voters found that "more than half of likely black voters favor legalizing same-sex marriage, compared with a quarter who are opposed."

MONEY
Back in September, O'Malley told reporters that equality advocates needed to raise an additional $2 million to ensure Question 6 passed in November. A recent Baltimore Sun article found that both pro- and anti-equality campaigns have nearly emptied their coffers funding this fight. Marylanders for Marriage Equality reported raising $4.3 million, with sizable donations from the National Education Association ($300,000) and GOP bundler Paul Singer ($250,000), who has donated to equality campaigns across the country.

The Maryland Marriage Alliance, which opposed the legislation, reported raising more than $850,000. According to The Sun, more than $400,000 of that money came from nationwide antigay group the National Organization for Marriage. The Catholic Church and its affiliate, the Knights of Columbus, have donated more than $250,000 to the anti-equality effort, which means donations from Catholic groups, when combined with the Catholic-adjacent NOM's contributions, make up more than 75% of MMA's total war chest, according to the Human Rights Campaign.

ENDORSEMENTS
President Obama was among the first to endorse marriage equality efforts in Maryland, when back in June he told a group of supporters that voting for Question 6 was "the right thing to do." In October, an Obama spokesperson reaffirmed that support, telling The Sun that the commander in chief supports Question 6. New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, a Republican, not only endorsed the Yes on 6 campaign, but also added a quarter-million dollar donation to Marylanders for Marriage Equality in mid-October.

On October 12, the NAACP confirmed its support for Maryland's Question 6 during a press conference with President and CEO Benjamin Todd Jealous. The coalition supporting marriage equality boasted more than 100 partners from a broad cross-section of the business, private and public sector, entertainment, and faith communities.

ADVERTISEMENTS
Marylanders for Marriage Equality enlisted Obama's voice in a radio ad released less than two weeks before the election and made history by being the first marriage equality campaign to specifically target African American voters. The equality coalition's first TV ads featured two black Baptist Reverends indicating their support and affirming the belief that "government should treat everyone equally," while not forcing "any church to perform a same-sex marriage if it's against their beliefs."

The Maryland Marriage Alliance, which opposes marriage equality, released the standard misleading, dishonest ads equality opponents rely upon time and time again. The anti-equality campaign started its TV blitz with an 30-second spot falsely claiming that children do best when raised by a married mother and father, and that marriage had been comprised of "one man and one woman" for thousands of years. Another ad, featuring Marylander Ceci Royals, claimed that equality opponents are victims of intimidation when they are called bigots, cowards, and "sexual rednecks."

[Pint0 Xtreme]

And it's official in Washington State

Voters approving R-74 which legalizes same-sex marriage

In early election results, Washington state voters are approving Referendum 74 legalizing same-sex marriage.
Check live results

The law was passed by the Legislature and signed by Gov. Chris Gregoire earlier this year, but was on hold pending the outcome of the election.

Washington was one of four states where voters are being asked about gay marriage. As in Washington state, voters in Maryland and Maine will decide whether or not to legalize same-sex marriage. In Minnesota, voters will determine whether to place a ban on gay marriage in the state constitution. Dating back to 1998, same-sex marriage has been rejected in all 32 states that have held popular votes on the issue.

About $13.6 million has been spent on Washington state's campaign so far, with the bulk of it spent by gay marriage supporters. Washington United for Marriage has far outraised its opponents, bringing in more than $12 million compared to the $2.7 million raised by Preserve Marriage Washington, which opposes the law.

The road to gay marriage in Washington state began several years ago. A year after the state's gay marriage ban was upheld by the state Supreme Court, the state's first domestic partnership law passed in 2007, granting couples about two dozen rights, including hospital visitation and inheritance rights when there is no will. It was expanded a year later, and then again in 2009, when lawmakers completed the package with the so-called "everything but marriage" bill that was ultimately upheld by voters later that same year.

Preserve Marriage gathered enough signatures for a referendum, and the law never took effect, instead remaining on hold pending Tuesday's vote.

Gay couples could start picking up their marriage certificate and license from county auditor offices on Dec. 6, a day after the election is certified. However, because Washington state has a three-day waiting period, the earliest the certificate could be signed, making the marriage valid, is Dec. 9.

The law doesn't require religious organizations or churches to perform marriages, and doesn't subject them to penalties if they don't marry gay or lesbian couples.

[Kuja]

I didn't think I would get to use this twice in one night. I'm very pleased I can.

[The Duchess of Zeon]

Maryland called with 95% of votes in and Gay Marriage up by about 80,000 votes.

[Block]

Proud of my home state of Maryland, not just for passing this, but for the way in which it's written.

[Pint0 Xtreme]

Maryland called with 95% of votes in and Gay Marriage up by about 80,000 votes.

I am so fucking happy that you were right about Washington!!

[The Duchess of Zeon]

Maryland called with 95% of votes in and Gay Marriage up by about 80,000 votes.

I am so fucking happy that you were right about Washington!!

Our gay caucus in the state legislature adopted the "Fabian Strategy", and methodically worked over 15 years to change hearts and minds and progressively "bite and hold". It was the correct course of action. It requires patience, and endurance, but it WORKS, whereas flaming in-your-face defiance just produces blowback. You must "drink the cup of poison" and negotiate on your inalienable rights... Because the more you do, the more acceptable you become, and then steadily you remove the mental justifications to oppress you and win over the population.

[Connor MacLeod]

Shit, the margin shrunk to zero. 67% reporting and the constitutional amendment is ahead by nearly 500 votes..

[Pint0 Xtreme]

Shit, the margin shrunk to zero. 67% reporting and the constitutional amendment is ahead by nearly 500 votes..

It's looking like a Prop8 clone. Fingers still crossed, however.

[Connor MacLeod]

yeah. I'm fucking annoyed. Bachmann's ahead by a thousand or so against Graves and now this. I'm trying to figure out how Obama pulled Minnesota and yet we still managed to fuck these things up.

[The Duchess of Zeon]

Marriage was still going to be illegal in Minnesota tomorrow no matter which way this went, let the haters burn. We have our victories.

[The Duchess of Zeon]

Today is the "High Water Mark of the Confederacy" for NOM, I really do have that belief now, that Minnesota is their Pickett's charge, and we've finally beaten them back, in Washington, Maine, and Maryland, and now future progress, if hard, will be inevitable.

[Connor MacLeod]

72% reporting, and its swung back in favor of rejecting the amendment. Nearly a 3000 vote margin, which isn't much, but its something at least.

Now if Bachmann would just get crushed...

[The Duchess of Zeon]

If I'm wrong and Minnesota goes too, this will be truly hilarious. How will NOM possibly recover?

[Alyeska]

If I'm wrong and Minnesota goes too, this will be truly hilarious. How will NOM possibly recover?

Lie through their teeth about everything. Spin, mislead, and sling mud at everyone else.

[Connor MacLeod]

Minnesota has 78% reporting: rejection of the amendment ahead by over 15,000. seems like the margin is picking up again after it started to shrink slightly. here's to hoping it stays where it is.

graves is up slightly too.. at least til I checked then that Harpy pulled ahead again. fucking tea party rednecks.

[Pint0 Xtreme]

82.25% precincts reporting in for Minnesota.
Percent of YES votes: 48.12%

http://electionresults.sos.state.mn.us/ ... tatewide/1

[Connor MacLeod]

yeah it just pulled ahead to 51%.. it looks like it might actually get rejected. Same with the Voter registration bill. although its a bit embarassing that the latter was defeated by a greater margin than the former.

[Guardsman Bass]

I'm happy for those of you living in a state progressive enough to protect gay marriage rights. My home state (Utah) is probably not going to recognize gay marriage until there's a national law requiring them to do so and the Mormon Church faces some serious embarrassment over it that threatens the US conversion rates.