La Figa » Maine Girds Loins for Civil Marriage Equality Battle

Maine Girds Loins for Civil Marriage Equality Battle

Lisa Derrick Wednesday January 14, 2009 9:53 am

Maine’s Democratic state Sen. Dennis Damon introduced legislation Tuesday that would legalize same-sex marriage, but as he was speaking at a news conference, his Republican counterpart was drafting legislation to restrict marriage to one man and one woman in the state’s constitution.

Damon’s legislation seeks to redefine marriage as the legal union of two people rather than between a man and a women, thus making civil marriage equality a reality in the Pine Tree State. At a news conference yesterday he said:

Today I have submitted an act to end discrimination in civil marriage and to affirm religious freedom.

Though Republican Rep. John Tardy’s is drafting language to insert into the state’s constitution that would block marriage equality, Maine’s legislature is Democratically controlled, and with a recent study showing

voting to support the freedom to marry and opposing anti-marriage measures helps rather than hurts politicians

There’s a decent chance Maine will become the nation’s third state to allow same-sex marriage. And an equally decent chance there’s gonna be a struggle. Here’s a list of Maine lawmakers so you can remind them that voting for marriage equality can help get you re-elected.

macaquerman | Wednesday January 14, 2009 11:12 am 1

Voting for marriage equality helps in getting re-elected?

Margot | Wednesday January 14, 2009 02:14 pm 2

In response to macaquerman @ 1

Yes, see here:
http://campaignsilo.firedoglak…..e-elected/

macaquerman | Wednesday January 14, 2009 02:24 pm 3

In response to Margot @ 2

Thanks. I read that. It really doesn’t say that supporting marriage equality helps get you re-elected. A closer reading would favor the interpretation that supporting ME hasn’t caused anyone’s defeat.

Lisa Derrick | Wednesday January 14, 2009 02:27 pm 4

“helps rather than hurts”

macaquerman | Wednesday January 14, 2009 02:40 pm 5

In response to Lisa Derrick @ 4

I hope so, but I worry that supporters shouldn’t get complacent. No more waking up to nasty shocks like Prop 8.
If you want it, go work for it. Make sure that supporting marriage equality means getting donations and volunteer labor. Bon chance.

Teddy Partridge | Wednesday January 14, 2009 03:46 pm 6

No one who voted for marriage equality, or against marriage discrimination, lost at the ballot box.

Teddy Partridge | Wednesday January 14, 2009 03:47 pm 7

And hurray for Maine!

Hugh | Wednesday January 14, 2009 03:51 pm 8

I don’t understand the relationship between girded loins and civil marriage, but if you say so . . .

SouthernDragon | Wednesday January 14, 2009 03:54 pm 9

In response to Hugh @ 8

The ancient expression for preparing to do battle.

macaquerman | Wednesday January 14, 2009 03:58 pm 10

In response to Teddy Partridge @ 6

But nobody made it a big issue in campaigning, if I’m remembering correctly. And most of the highlighted races were in eastern, rather than central, states.
It’s good news, but too soon to get happy.

ratfood | Wednesday January 14, 2009 04:00 pm 11

In response to SouthernDragon @ 9

Not simply a cryptic reference to high-rise construction workers who slip and straddle an I-beam, then? “g”

SouthernDragon | Wednesday January 14, 2009 04:01 pm 12

In response to ratfood @ 11

That hurts just thinkin’ about it.

ratfood | Wednesday January 14, 2009 04:03 pm 13

In response to SouthernDragon @ 12

Probably only slightly preferable to falling off.

Hugh | Wednesday January 14, 2009 04:04 pm 14

I thought a girded loin was more like a brisket. I believe it is tenderized by smiting it.

ratfood | Wednesday January 14, 2009 04:07 pm 15

In response to Hugh @ 14

I like my loins smoked over medium heat then doused with BBQ sauce.

katymine | Wednesday January 14, 2009 04:12 pm 16

In response to macaquerman @ 10

McCain cut ads for Arizona’s prop 102 to define marriage between one man & one woman. McCain is up for re-election in 2010. Not sure if we have a decent Democrat except the Governor who could beat him.

DWBartoo | Wednesday January 14, 2009 04:16 pm 17

In response to ratfood @ 15

Loining should be a life-long process.

Them what don’t loin from the lessons of history are …

We loin everything of importance in Tendergarten …

But, then again, will we ever loin?

Hugh | Wednesday January 14, 2009 04:17 pm 18

Jim Lehrer is on the NewsHour interviewing Dick Cheney. Lehrer doesn’t question any of Cheney’s BS and doesn’t follow up. Cheney is creepy enough without Lehrer’s banal acceptance of the banality of evil sitting before him.

wickedpissah | Wednesday January 14, 2009 04:17 pm 19

I’m looking forward to this. I plan on pointing out to every fellow Mainer that my interracial marriage was previously opposed by every argument put forth in opposition to gay marriage.

Hugh | Wednesday January 14, 2009 04:19 pm 20

I loved Bert Lahr playing the cowardly loin in the Wizard of Oz.

DWBartoo | Wednesday January 14, 2009 04:23 pm 21

In response to Hugh @ 20

We should loinize them what deserve it, Hugh.

Millineryman | Wednesday January 14, 2009 04:26 pm 22

This is good news, I look forward to assisting Maine anyway I can. Ogunquit, Maine is a nice town that’s very gay and lesbian friendly. Love it there.

Hugh | Wednesday January 14, 2009 04:35 pm 23

Cheney just said his favorite Democrat was Joe Lieberman. First, Lieberman is not a Democrat and second, what does that say about Obama’s coddling of him?

Lisa Derrick | Wednesday January 14, 2009 04:46 pm 24

Dick and Joe should go hunting…

Somewhere I read some Dick Cheney slash fic about him huntin, there was a cabin and a cot and some other politico involved. It was um disturbing. What’s possibly more disturbing is every now and then when insomnia hits I punch in all sorts of google combos to try and find it again.

Twain | Wednesday January 14, 2009 04:47 pm 25

In response to Hugh @ 23

Absolutely nothing. It says that Cheney is up to his usual mischief-making and he’s really good at it.

Mnemosyne | Wednesday January 14, 2009 04:49 pm 26

His name is Damon, not sure where the extra “ck” on the end came from.

macaquerman | Wednesday January 14, 2009 04:56 pm 27

In response to katymine @ 16

Very hard to believe that McCain will run again.

macaquerman | Wednesday January 14, 2009 04:57 pm 28

But don”t you wake up all hot and sticky

Lisa Derrick | Wednesday January 14, 2009 05:31 pm 29

In response to Mnemosyne @ 26

Reuters had it as Damonck. http://www.reuters.com/article…..8A20090114

Fix’d it..thanks!

Jesterfox | Thursday January 15, 2009 05:35 am 30

In response to DWBartoo @ 17

Is our children loining?