Same-Sex Marriage Update

[Strappie]

Minnesota has a vote on this come November! It will take a miracle!

[MsTinkerbelly]

Wall Street Journal poll shows shift in marriage equality attitudes among unexpected groups
By Jacob Combs

A Sunday article in the Wall Street Journal titled “Democrats Pressure Obama on Gay Marriage” highlights the possibly impending showdown between President Obama and Democratic party leaders like Nancy Pelosi and Antonio Villaraigosa regarding the formal inclusion of marriage equality in the party’s platform. But what is perhaps most surprising and encouraging in the Journal‘s piece is a poll showing that not only is support for marriage at an all time high, it has also increased dramatically among some unexpected and significant groups:

The most-recent Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll suggests that views on gay marriage are shifting faster than for any other hot-button social issue in recent memory, pollsters say.

Forty-nine percent of Americans now say they approve of gay marriage, up from 40% shortly after Mr. Obama took office in 2009. Mr. Obama’s stated stance makes him part of the 8% of respondents who are unsure how they feel about gay marriage, according to the poll released last week.

The poll showed the biggest jump among blue-collar voters and African Americans, two key Democratic constituencies. Support among blue-collar voters jumped 20 percentage points to 49%. African-American support for gay marriage rose from 32% to 50%. More than half of Hispanics and voters aged 18 to 34 also voiced support. Mr. Obama’s advisers have closely watched the changing views among African-Americans and Hispanics.

If these trends hold up, this could be big news for the marriage movement, not just in terms of the President’s position but also the greater political landscape itself. African-American, Hispanic and blue-collar voters are important to the President’s reelection strategy, but if support for marriage among those groups is growing, a choice by the President to fully endorse marriage equality becomes much less risky.

More importantly, it means that the political majority that favors marriage is not only growing, but becoming more diverse. It is both rare and thrilling to be living in a time when attitudes on this issue are changing so quickly in the direction of equal rights and justice. President Obama isn’t the only one losing ground for his justification about staying out of the marriage debate. As attitudes continue to change, politicians across the political spectrum will lose that justification as well

[MsTinkerbelly]

PA Marriage Ban Bill Pulled

Pennsylvania's proposed ban on the recognition of all same-sex relationships was abruptly withdrawn this morning shortly prior to its scheduled hearing before a state House committee.
News broke a few minutes ago that the House State Government Committee will delay its vote on HB 1434, known as the “Marriage Protection” amendment, proposed by State Rep. Daryl Metcalfe (R-Butler). The legislation, which drew intense criticism from gay rights advocates, would establish an amendment to the Pennsylvania Constitution that would redefine marriage as “the legal union of only one man and one woman.” Metcalfe currently serves as the State Government Committee chair.
The bill will likely resurface in a marriage-specific form.

[MsTinkerbelly]

Maine ballot measure on marriage equality clears hurdle, polls show voters likely to approve it
By Jacob Combs

The Kennebec Journal reports that the Maine House of Representatives today voted unanimously to indefinitely postpone a citizen initiative that would bring marriage equality to the state, freeing the measure to go directly to the ballot in November. The bill now heads to the state Senate, which is expected to take the same action.

In addition to that good news, a PPP poll from last week shows strong support for the measure going into the election, with 54 percent of respondents saying they support marriage equality and only 41 percent saying they oppose it. When presented with the exact ballot language (regarding “marriage licenses for same-sex couples that protects religious freedom by ensuring that no religion or clergy be required to perform such a marriage in violation of their religious beliefs”), respondents supported the measure by a margin of 47 percent to 32 percent.

Moreover, the PPP vote found that while Democrats and Republicans in the state had not experienced any significant changes in opinion since 2009 (when voters repealed Maine’s marriage equality law), there has been a marked shift in opinion among independent voters. In 2009, independents opposed marriage equality by a 52/46 margin; in this year’s poll, they support it by a 57/36 margin. That’s a remarkable and dramatic development in only three years, and one that could likely make the difference come election day.

As always, these numbers should be viewed cautiously: the election is several months away, and things will change as the campaign heats up. Nevertheless, PPP’s poll didn’t find the even split that many past polls have found in states considering ballot measures on marriage; rather, Maine’s numbers seem to support a clear momentum in favor of marriage. When looked at in the context of the the state’s diocese’s decision not to campaign against marriage, Maine is beginning to look like a possible game changer in November.

[MsTinkerbelly]

Washington judge releases final ballot language for marriage equality initiative
By Jacob Combs

Yesterday, Thurston County Superior Court Judge Thomas McPhee released his decision on the final wording for Referendum 74, the proposed ballot measure to either uphold or overturn Washington’s recently passed marriage equality law. Judge McPhee’s decision, which is final and cannot be appealed, is a victory for marriage advocates because it removes language about the law’s intent to “redefine marriage” and instead opts for more neutral wording. Supporters of the initiative will now have to collect 120,577 signatures by June 6 to qualify it for the November election.

Here is the finalized ballot language for Referendum 74:

Ballot Title:
The legislature passed Engrossed Substitute Senate Bill 6239 concerning marriage for same-sex couples, modified domestic-partnership law, and religious freedom [and voters have filed a sufficient referendum petition on this bill].

This bill would allow same-sex couples to marry, preserve domestic partnerships only for seniors, and preserve the right of clergy or religious organizations to refuse to perform, recognize, or accommodate any marriage ceremony.

Should this bill be

___ Approved

___ Rejected

Ballot Measure Summary:
This bill allows same-sex couples to marry, applies marriage laws without regard to gender, and specifies that laws using gender-specific terms like husband and wife include same-sex spouses. After 2014, existing domestic partnerships are converted to marriages, except for seniors. It preserves the right of clergy or religious organizations to refuse to perform or recognize any marriage or accommodate wedding ceremonies. The bill does not affect licensing of religious organizations providing adoption, foster-care, or child-placement

[iamkeri1]

Wow! That seems to me to be a very clearly stated referendum. I don't think it should be on the ballot at all - rights being inalienable and all that, but at least people voting on the referendum will be able to clearly understand what they are voting for/against. Two things will work toward samesex marriage being passed.

1 people are more likely to vote for the first choice.
2 people are more likely to vote FOR a referendum than against it.

Have all available body parts crossed hoping that it passes.
Smooches,
Keri

[MsTinkerbelly]

Denmark set to legalize marriage equality by summer
By Jacob Combs

Helle Thorning-Schmidt, the center-left prime minister of Denmark, announced this week that his government plans to introduce draft legislation that will bring marriage equality to the country on June 15. From BNO News:

Denmark was the first country in the world to legalize same-sex unions in 1989 but, despite a generally tolerant society towards homosexuality, politicians repeatedly rejected bills to legalize same-sex marriage. The previous Danish government also rejected a same-sex marriage bill last year.

But Thorning said the Danish government will submit a draft legislation on Wednesday which will allow same-sex couples to get married at both City Hall and the Church of Denmark if they find a priest who is willing to perform the wedding. Although some church leaders have spoken out against same-sex marriage, previous surveys have suggested that as many as 70 percent of priests are willing to marry same-sex couples.

Thorning-Schmidt called the bill “a big step forward” and a “natural” progresion for her country. After the introduction of the civil union bill in 1989, gay couples in Denmark enjoyed the same rights as straght couples, but were not allowed to be married in a religious ceremony. In 1997, the Church of Denmark allowed religious leaders to bless gay unions and in 2009, gay couples won the right to adopt children.

The legislation is expected to pass, making Denmark the 11th country with marriage equality. The other 10 are Argentina, Belgium, Canada, Iceland, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, South Africa, Spain and Sweden

[MsTinkerbelly]

President Obama opposes anti-gay Amendment 1 in North Carolina
By Scottie Thomaston

This is news:


“While the president does not weigh in on every single ballot measure in every state, the record is clear that the President has long opposed divisive and discriminatory efforts to deny rights and benefits to same sex couples,” said Cameron French, his North Carolina campaign spokesman.

“That’s what the North Carolina ballot initiative would do – it would single out and discriminate against committed gay and lesbian couples – and that’s why the President does not support it.”

Equality activists in North Carolina have been pressing the President and the First Lady to publicly oppose the amendment, and the number of people in opposition is growing. Recently, Wooledge noted that the fight in NC is winnable. This move by the president is very welcome and could help steer the conversation in a more positive direction for the equality side.

Hopefully this is also a sign of more changes to come. North Carolina is a battleground state, and the Democratic National Convention will be held there this year

Maybe someone up the campaign food chain finally figured out there’s no harm in pointing out that discrimination placed in a state constitution is simply wrong. It’s not like we’re asking for an endorsement of marriage equality. He’s got that problem as well — related to the platform — with many of his fellow Dems calling for marriage equality language to be added to it, but that’s not the same issue for North Carolina.

If people are that uptight about that frank and earnest statement of opposition to Amendment One stated above, the President shouldn’t have expected to win over those votes anyway.