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Reason
05-06-2009, 01:41 PM
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=103851334&sc=nl&cc=nh-20090506

NPR.org, May 6, 2009 · Maine's governor signed a freshly passed bill Wednesday approving gay marriage, making it the fifth state to approve the practice and moving New England closer to allowing it throughout the region.

New Hampshire legislators were also poised to send a gay marriage bill to their governor, who hasn't indicated whether he'll sign it. If he does, Rhode Island would be the region's sole holdout.

The Maine Senate voted 21-13, with one absent, for a bill that authorizes marriage between any two people rather than between one man and one woman, as state law currently allows. The House had passed the bill Tuesday.

Democratic Gov. John Baldacci, who hadn't previously indicated how he would handle the bill, signed it shortly afterward. In the past, he said he opposed gay marriage but supported civil unions, which provide many benefits of marriage.

Debate was brief. Senate President Elizabeth Mitchell, D-Vassalboro, turned the gavel over to an openly gay member, Sen. Lawrence Bliss, D-South Portland, to preside over the final vote.

Republican Sen. Debra Plowman of Hampden argued that the bill was being passed "at the expense of the people of faith."

"You are making a decision that is not well-founded," warned Plowman.

But Senate Majority Leader Philip Bartlett II said the bill does not compel religious institutions to recognize gay marriage. "We respect religious liberties. ... This is long overdue," said Bartlett, D-Gorham.

Maine is now the fourth state in New England to allow same-sex marriages. Connecticut enacted a bill after being ordered to allow gay marriages by the courts, and Vermont passed a bill over the governor's veto.

New Hampshire's House was also expected to vote on a bill Wednesday and send it to Gov. John Lynch, a Democrat.

Massachusetts' high court has ordered the state to recognize gay marriages. In Rhode Island, a bill to legalize same-sex marriage has been introduced but is not expected to pass this year.

Outside New England, Iowa is recognizing gay marriages on court orders. The practice was briefly legal in California before voters banned it.

revolutionman
05-07-2009, 02:53 AM
good for them, I'm glad homosexuals are making progress on the state level. I wish them the best of luck everywhere they fight for equality.

kathy88
05-07-2009, 04:46 AM
Good job Maine.

He Who Pawns
05-07-2009, 06:42 AM
Good.

Elwar
05-07-2009, 06:52 AM
When I see a government Legalize something...I think, good...something that was illegal is now legal.

This is not the case. You could've been married before and not been arrested.

This is just equalized government intrusion.

BuddyRey
05-07-2009, 07:42 AM
Way to go, Maine!

Feenix566
05-07-2009, 07:46 AM
Woot! woot!

I think one of the major obstacles our movement is facing is that we're associated with the Republican party and the Republican party is associated with conservative social issues like banning gay marriage. I think if people knew that we support equal rights for homosexuals, we might get a lot more support from self-identified liberals.

ItsTime
05-07-2009, 07:53 AM
I am glad they can get married. But how about this. There be NO LICENSES to get married? Why can the government tell you who you can marry at all?

Elwar
05-07-2009, 07:55 AM
I am glad they can get married. But how about this. There be NO LICENSES to get married? Why can the government tell you who you can marry at all?

+1

heavenlyboy34
05-07-2009, 08:11 AM
Woot! woot!

I think one of the major obstacles our movement is facing is that we're associated with the Republican party and the Republican party is associated with conservative social issues like banning gay marriage. I think if people knew that we support equal rights for homosexuals, we might get a lot more support from self-identified liberals.

Good thing I'm not, eh? ;):cool:

Crash Martinez
05-07-2009, 08:14 AM
I am glad they can get married. But how about this. There be NO LICENSES to get married? Why can the government tell you who you can marry at all?

Yeah.. getting married, even for homosexuals, was not illegal before this. Don't buy into that propaganda.

This is all about STATE involvement.

True legalization / decriminalization refers to something the government WAS involved in, and then RELINQUISHED involvement. As you can guess, based on this definition, it almost never happens.

Here we have a case where the government WAS NOT involved, and has now ASSUMED the powers of involvement, licensure, regulation, "benefits," etc.

This is not legalization, and is anything but an "equal rights" issue; it's the State happily obliging one special interest group's request for government intervention on their behalf.

Nothing good about it.

Krugerrand
05-07-2009, 08:57 AM
Woot! woot!

I think one of the major obstacles our movement is facing is that we're associated with the Republican party and the Republican party is associated with conservative social issues like banning gay marriage. I think if people knew that we support equal rights for homosexuals, we might get a lot more support from self-identified liberals.

Not an obstacle at all.


http://news.yahoo.com/s/uc/20090505/cm_uc_crpbux/op_339878
The second most critical consideration of voters in choosing a president was "values." No less than 30 percent of the electorate said this was their primary consideration in voting for McCain or Obama.

Among values voters, fully 30 percent of the electorate, McCain won 65 percent to 32 percent, or by two to one.

What these numbers demonstrate is that liberals and neocons instructing the GOP to dump the social, moral and cultural issues are counseling Republicide. When African-Americans, who gave McCain 4 percent of their votes in California, gave Proposition 8, prohibiting gay marriage, 70 percent of their votes, why would the GOP give up one of its trump cards — not only in Middle America but among minorities?

The economy is far more important. Helping people realize that we need a massive downsize of government is far more important than forcing other people to recognize a marriage.