It looks like Maine voters are going to repeal civil rights tonight

[Libertas1776]

http://www.bangordailynews.com/electionresults.html

I am very disappointed. I had very high hopes for Maine. When will people stop putting the civil rights of minorities up for a vote by the tyranny of the majority? :-(

Edited: Oh, but it appears that act to make medical marijuana more accessible will pass. Gay marriage...HELL NO!! Marijuana...well...sure, why the hell not?

[Happyhippychick]

1. So sad about this. :(

[Danger Mouse]

2. Fucking hell.

[GreenPartyVoter]

3. Half of us voted against #1. There are still votes yet to come in, but I

fear perhaps not enough to help our cause.

[jonnyblitz]

10. I appreciate your support in my home state.

:hi:

[GreenPartyVoter]

13. :^) Just wish it was going to turn out better

[Teaser]

4. this is a fail

more and more I'm thinking that my sons generation will be the one to see the light on this.

[Libertas1776]

6. You're right about that

[Frances]

5. I am so sad

[Neecy]

7. Heartbreaking

And this shit is really starting to piss me off. I wonder how many of these assholes would allow ANYONE to vote on THEIR marriages?

Fucking hell.

[tmyers09]

8. Still 20% of precincts not reported yet.

It's never over until the last vote is counted. We have to keep hope alive.

[Tesha]

12. Please don't delude yourself; it's over. (NT)

[tmyers09]

15. Delude nothing, there's unreported precincts and it's nowhere near a landslide.

[GreenPartyVoter]

29. But looking at the towns that have yet to report is not reassuring. :^(

[Neecy]

14. We can't make it up

The cities are already in. Portland is in the count, along with their absentee ballots.

79%

Yes — 240,647 52.4%
No — 218,478 47.6

[underseasurveyor]

9. No =( damnit damnit damnit

not again:(

[ProudToBeBlueInRhody]

11. Let's ban divorce then

Time to REALLY protect marriage.

[Newsjock]

16. Marriage Protection Act

http://rescuemarriage.org

[Libertas1776]

21. big kick to that

[Justitia]

17. OMG. Civil Rights should NEVER be up for a vote. This is sickening in the extreme.

This diminishes ALL of us, straight, gay or neutral.

[Libertas1776]

18. Next Stop...

Iowa :sarcasm: God, I hope not.

[eShirl]

19. not legalization of medical marijuana, that's already legal

it's whether to have medical marijuana dispensaries, or keep making the patients find it on their own

[Libertas1776]

20. Thanks for the clarification

but nonetheless, easier medical marijuana access is still more important than the civil rights of a minority group treated as second class citizens. Major sigh. :-(

[KamaAina]

22. Maybe if they had passed the pot bill first

thus allowing time for voters to really reflect, if you receive my drift... :smoke:

Seriesly, :wtf: are people thinking? How far can these ballot questions go? "Shall women have the right to vote"? :sarcasm:

[Libertas1776]

24. All seriousness aside...

I'll admit I was thinking the very same thing. :smoke:

[WheelWalker]

23. Fuck 'em. Let's ban marriage, then.

[K8-EEE]

25. I feel for you because I was SICK when it happened here in CA

WTF is wrong with people.

[GreenPartyVoter]

27. It's the same thing all over again. The uber-religious with their better funding and

hatefully deceptive ad blitzes did away with a civil right.

[K8-EEE]

26. I feel for you because I was SICK when it happened here in CA

WTF is wrong with people.

[swag]

28. Still too close to call, I think.

[FreeState]

30. The AP just called it for the bigots n/t

[Sirveri]

31. I live in CA and thought the same thing with 8.

This is over, time to play in the courthouses again.

[Unvanguard]

32. It is over. Do not engage in last-ditch hope. It will only draw out the pain. n/t

[fishwax]

33. .

:grr::nuke:

[Starbucks Anarchist]

34. Assholes.

(The homophobic ones.)

[liberalpragmatist]

35. Maine's a very Catholic state

The Catholic Church went all out against this. And Maine's population is also relatively older, with a lot of rural voters. They're generally moderate on a lot of issues, but this is still an issue that they don't get or approve of. Plus it's an off-year election.

It's a fucking disappointment.

I'm not trying to put a positive spin on this - no reason any progressive should feel happy about this vote - but I do think it's important to take the long view sometimes. At the beginning of this year, two states had legal gay marriage. Even if this repeal happens, five states now have marriage equality. That number is going to go up. I suspect referendums in 2012 will restore marriage equality to both California and Maine. And New York may well get gay marriage within the next two years. (NJ is a different story, now that Christie has been elected, although there was some talk about passing gay marriage during a lame-duck session while Corzine is still governor.)