Post-Election Day Blues

An off-season Election Day is a funny thing. There are low turnouts, no national races, and few big stories for the political media to analyze to death (not that that stops them). But these elections, no matter how scattered or small, impact people's lives, sometimes to a devastating effect.

Such is the case in Maine, where a proposition to overturn the state's same sex marriage law passed 53-47 (96% of precincts reporting). Gay marriage has now lost public votes in 31 states. Foes of same sex marriage claim that the results demonstrate that decisionmakers are "out of touch" and that the will of the people has been upheld.

All this heartbreaking loss proves is that the civil rights of a minority should never be decided by a majority. These referendums ask an oppressive populace if they would like to continue oppressing those who are different from them, and then claim that the results are the will of the people. While voting gives a voice to the people and is our fundamental right, the American people cannot use that right to dominate others. The founders of this nation understood that. From James Madison's Federalist Paper 51:

"It is of great importance in a republic not only to guard the society against the oppression of its rulers, but to guard one part of the society against the injustice of the other part. Different interests necessarily exist in different classes of citizens. If a majority be united by a common interest, the rights of the minority will be insecure."

Slavery, segregation, disenfranchisement: none of these social ills were made illegal by popular vote. And so we fight on.

Support Maine Equality! Vote No on 1!

On November 3rd, Maine voters will decide whether to repeal Maine's new same sex marriage law. According to CommonDreams, both sides are close in the polls.

The marriage fight in Maine is shaping up to be similar to the Prop. 8 fight in California. The "THEY WILL TEACH GAY TO THE CHILDREN!" rhetoric came out in full force. Ads like these have started to run in Maine:

Give Me A Break from Stand for Marriage Maine on Vimeo.

Apparently, children will be explicitly taught that gay sex involves HUGGING and (gasp!) KISSING!

Protect Maine Equality has raised $1.4 million more than its opponent. However, advocates for equality are far from complacent. Protect Maine Equality's Jesse Connoley says "We have every reason to think this will be a razor-thin election."

If you're a Maine voter, make sure to vote on November 3rd or earlier!

Battle for Equality Far From Over in Maine

Civil rights are not debatable. How long does it take to find 55,087 registered homophobes in Maine? Hopefully longer than three months… In May, Maine became the fifth state to legalize same-sex marriage. While many individuals celebrated this victory with friends and loved ones, the opposition met in some dimly lit, damp and muggy basement to plot a people’s veto. (Ok… so I am editorializing a bit. I have no idea where they met, but I am envisioning something haunted house-esque.)

Anyway, so the civil rights haters hired Schubert Flint Public Affairs to help orchestrate the hate; Schubert Flint notoriously aided in the costly overthrow of equality in California. According to CommonDreams.org, this outside force is coming in to help collect signatures in Maine, and if they succeed in getting 55,087 of them, then the law that passed in May will not go into effect until another vote is held in November.

Some people ask, “What is the big deal? Why all the fuss over marriage?” I used to ask this question a lot, but now I think I get it. It is not about whether you or anyone you know wants to get married; it is about the implications of barring a certain demographic of individuals from the institution of marriage. Marriage is the norm; it is really not a question of whether you think that is a good thing or not.

I like to think about it from the perspective of a kid in the process of being socialized into our culture. If one group of people can get married, and another group cannot, then there is something inherently unequal. Those who cannot are somehow lesser than those who can. I really do not care if a single same-sex couple chooses to wed when the law takes effect in September, but they absolutely must have the option.

Please feel free to email campusteam@feminist.org with any questions or comments.