While most politicos are looking at gubernatorial races in New Jersey and Virginia to determine whether Democrats gain maintain a short-term advantage in 2010, it’s clearly the battles over marriage equality and gay rights in Washington state and Maine where the true potential of a progressive realignment can be measured. On the heels of the March for Equality, we’re entering the final weeks of two ballot measures to gauge this support.
In Washington, a vote against referendum 71 would actually take away domestic partner benefits from LGBT couples. Approve 71 has released their first ad, featuring a lesbian couple who has been together for 31 years.
In Maine, the fight is over marriage. The legislature passed a marriage equality law earlier this year, and the same forces who pushed through Prop. H8 in California have reassembled to try and revoke the law in Maine. This will feature two highly motivated forces with a clear decision to make on an issue of progressive values. Unlike in California, the pro-equality forces are well-prepared with a better message. For example, they actually show gay families in their ads:
Forces of bigotry are trying to pull that ad because it features a Roman Catholic mother. I guess they missed both the freedom of speech and the freedom of religion clauses in the First Amendment.
No on 1 released their fundraising numbers for the third quarter, and they’ve raised a whopping $2.7 million dollars (very large for Maine), and have over 8,000 Mainers volunteering for the campaign. The Yes side reported only $1.1 million for the same period. And a brand-new poll out today shows the No side leading, 51.8%-42.9%. The Yes side is freaking out and sent an urgent email to their list yesterday asking for cash. Expect the Bat-Signal to light up at the Mormon Tabernacle any minute now. Things look good but there’s no time for complacency.
The battle on marriage equality is the civil rights movement of the 21st century, and we’ve seen movement over the year, including this week in California. Whether Democrats have a 16-vote or 18-vote or 20-vote majority in the Senate is less suggestive of a progressive realignment than whether real advances for groups of Americans can be achieved. The fights in Washington and Maine would show that to be the case.
Related posts:
Spotlight
Support this site!
Subscribe to the newsletter
Advertise on Firedoglake
Send
us your tips
Make us your homepage
About Firedoglake
Advanced search
You don’t have to be in Maine to help. I have been making calls from CT. They have a very efficient system which does not involve any charges on your phone. Go here to sign up!!!
Thanks for covering this. Way to go Maine organizers!
I don’t know if support for same sex marriage is a reliable marker for progressive strength, especially in states like Maine, with a strong independent, libertarian streak.
California is a strong blue state, yet Prop 8 passed.
BTW:
Breaking news: Federal
Prop 8 case heads to 2010 trial
http://www.ebar.com/news/article.php?sec=news&article=4275
Only 3500 miles OT, I just heard on the radio that Judge Vaughan Walker ruled that there will be a trial on the constitutionality of Prop 8. The supporters of Prop Hate had wanted no trial. It is scheduled to start 11 January 2010. I sure hope they hold it in San Francisco!
I do wonder, though, if it might be a marker for progressive organization, lack of which was certainly a part of the problem here in California.
Don’t get me started on Prop 8…
http://www.ebar.com/common/inc/article_print.php?sec=guest_op&article=201
Thanks for the post on this, David.
I know you are not a reliable judge.
‘
Yeah, I guess being gay and living in California, with a sister who lives outside of Portland, ME means that I have nothing constructive to add to this, simply because I disagreed with your elsewhere.
Keep on, keepin’ on with the politics of subtraction!
Your inability to discern it is you that carries forth with the “politics of subtraction” is fairly stunning. Because you have lived in California for 20 years? Because you are gay? Because you have a sister? Who lives some other place? You have profound insight no other human has? Because you and I disagreed elsewhere? Could you be more transparent?
**** ***
Mod note: **** Please don’t do that.
So eloquent. Why not read my piece in the Bay Area Reporter linked above?
Religious people tend to oppose same sex marriage.
Non religious people from all political perspectives tend to support same sex marriage.
Do you actually think that all conservative people are religious, or that no liberal people are religious?
And then there are those of us who are radical queers who could care less for state legitimation of our relationships, and who only got involved in the same sex marriage campaign after the alpha homosexuals raised and spent $45m and got their clocks cleaned, screwing us all through their hubris and incompetence.
But it is probably easier to keep on bleating: “four legs good, two legs bad.”
But it is probably easier to keep on bleating: “four legs good, two legs bad.”
Wow! I thought I could read and shit. Actually read back over my comment and could not find that I said that. Anywhere. Real surprised you did though.
Sorry Mod, will try to not let it happen again.
Do you have anything substantive or constructive to contribute to the discussion of same sex marriage and the progressive movement? Can you evaluate our current circumstances against any historical examples and draw useful conclusions?
How about the next time I am in California, where I lived from 1959 through 2004, we get together and have a beer?
As for adding anything substantive to the discussion, how about this; I, as a straight male, was in the fucking streets of the San Francisco Bay Area protesting for Gay Rights before you were fucking born. Find another target.
I’ve quit drinking, but we’re still saddled with the loss of a fight that was picked by our side after you left.
I’ve also noticed this really annoying trend amongst het friends who support same sex marriage, who have chided me for wondering why they’re supporting one of the most conservative gay rights projects, as if my thoughts as a queer are subordinate to their altruism on my behalf.
Looking good so far. But do you know what the pro-marriage side is doing differently than in California last fall? Did they learn things from the Prop 8 fiasco?
From what I hear, money is scarce for a campaign in 2010.
As far as background goes, Prop 8 was the final disposition of the case initiated after Gavin Newsom authorized the CIty clerk to issue marriage licenses to any two people. He did this because we almost beat him in the previous election (even though they outspent us 9:1 and Willie Brown’s Department of Elections cheated by releasing absentee ballots before the date on the official calendar with Newsom’s campaign informed) including in Supervisorial District 8, the Castro. So in order to win over a swing constituency, Newsom pulled same sex marriage, the case went to court, the Supreme Court decided our way, and that drew an initiative.
Hets need to let queers run our own movement.