Maine voted against Gay Marriage. Was the voting even fair?

Is it constitutionally right to decide this by a vote?

Yes, it is.	33.3%	[ 21 ]
No, it is not.	66.7%	[ 42 ]
Total Votes:			[ 63 ]

[Vixianna]

ennaelatan

Comparing marriage rights with fashion statements is just as wrong as the government telling gay people they can't marry.

As for Phantomboy - people involved with the Gay Rights Movement do protest.
I don't know if you recall Stonewall? Or if that's too old for you, maybe the march on Washington nearly one month ago? The government hasn't listened yet. That doesn't mean the movement's done or even slowing. It means it's going to try harder.

Running naked in the streets? Are you a bigot? Are you really so ignorant?

Back on topic now, though.

It's absolutely a political issue. Marriage awards rights to heterosexual couples that homosexual couples are never awarded. It shouldn't be an issue, and that's the problem. It should be a given that you should be able to marry the person you're going to spend the rest of your life with. Let's ignore the the argument that wishes to "protect the sanctity of marriage," because the divorce rate speaks louder than a bunch of ignorant and frightened people grasping at straws.

Marriage has its political and social aspects. It conveys the idea to everyone around you that you're in love with your partner. It shows that you're committed.
Many states in the US do not allow you to adopt unless you're married. That automatically cuts out the gay community.

If it's to be put to a vote, then I say that heterosexual marriages should be put to a vote. Let's be fair, this is the US after all.

EDIT: I could list all the differences between Civil Unions (this is what gay couples are sometimes, depending on the state, allowed to have in place of marriage) and Civil Marriages, but there's about a thousand rights that make the difference. That's a /lot/ of typing.

You do realize that's stupid as hell, because it's going to be voted through right? Let's try something that will actually help the Gay community neh?

[Boudica Celtic Queen]

Phantomboy411

when gay people stop dancing naked through the streets of new orleans, then we'll talk about marriage.

And that's different from straight people doing it how?

[UnfunnyKitty]

Was it all-too-likely illegal to put it to majority vote? Oh definitely, but honestly I just don't care that much, I hate the individual state system, and even if every state in the union voted for gay marriage tomorrow, I would still hate it. Things like this should not be in the hands of the unwashed majority and states issues supporters tend to be the dirtiest of the filth in the great mass of men

[Russian Hooker]

Phantomboy411

another thing, we talk about the civil rights movement, women's suffrage movement, etc., but the thing is, those were MOVEMENTS. they had organized protests and leaders, and worked hard to make change for their rights. now, unless i'm mistaken, the only thing gay people can't legally is marry most of the time, and the only thing that's going to change that is if they actually make a move. protest or something. otherwise, we're stuck with voting.

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They do protest? Were have you been?

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[JettaKD]

Civil rights shouldn't be a legislative issue imo.

[Vixianna]

UnfunnyKitty

Was it all-too-likely illegal to put it to majority vote? Oh definitely, but honestly I just don't care that much, I hate the individual state system, and even if every state in the union voted for gay marriage tomorrow, I would still hate it. Things like this should not be in the hands of the unwashed majority and states issues supporters tend to be the dirtiest of the filth in the great mass of men

Thanks for ******** over the rights that states have been given since the founding of this country. But you know I suppose some guy in Congress knows how to best spend the funds meant for road development and schools in your community even though he's from another state on the opposite coast.

[Torrent_Of_Octane]

It was fair. Gay marriage is NOT a civil rights issue. The governed people of the state have the right to vote on their state's definition of marriage. The people have spoken, gay marriage is not allowed. Get over it and stop being a sore loser.

[-GP-ninja]

Le Cynique

The majority should not be allowed to vote on minority rights.

If minority rights were always decided based on a vote, we'd probably still have slaves.

true dat, america is a liberal democracy not a true democracy, meaning that there are protection on individual rights against the tyranny of the majority. It all goes back to what the framers intended on marriage when the constitution and the bill of rights were written.

i'm prettty indifferent to the issue and i'd like to see how this'll play out, but i don't think gay marriage will come about anytime soon.

[Yoshpet]

GunsmithKitten

Phantomboy411

when gay people stop dancing naked through the streets of new orleans, then we'll talk about marriage.

I've tried to tell my fellow LGBT's this, but it falls on deaf ears.

Are the heteros going to stop their Mardi Gras any time soon? Or I guess that's okay because they'll just beat us with sticks if push comes to shove.

[Akiroti]

Torrent_Of_Octane

It was fair. Gay marriage is NOT a civil rights issue. The governed people of the state have the right to vote on their state's definition of marriage. The people have spoken, gay marriage is not allowed. Get over it and stop being a sore loser.

You do realize the margin of win in the percentages don't you?
Yes- 47%
No- 53%
Who's going to be whining when it DOES become legal? You. And I'll say exactly the same.
And yes, WHEN...I have no doubt Maine's upcoming generation WILL be voting Yes.

Can the real Octane please stand up? Why do these toolish peopel keep acting like him?

[-GP-ninja]

Akiroti

Torrent_Of_Octane

It was fair. Gay marriage is NOT a civil rights issue. The governed people of the state have the right to vote on their state's definition of marriage. The people have spoken, gay marriage is not allowed. Get over it and stop being a sore loser.

You do realize the margin of win in the percentages don't you?
Yes- 47%
No- 53%
Who's going to be whining when it DOES become legal? You. And I'll say exactly the same.
And yes, WHEN...I have no doubt Maine's upcoming generation WILL be voting Yes.

Can the real Octane please stand up? Why do these toolish peopel keep acting like him?

it was a similar vote in CA

[Akiroti]

xsv.ninja

Akiroti

Torrent_Of_Octane

It was fair. Gay marriage is NOT a civil rights issue. The governed people of the state have the right to vote on their state's definition of marriage. The people have spoken, gay marriage is not allowed. Get over it and stop being a sore loser.

You do realize the margin of win in the percentages don't you?
Yes- 47%
No- 53%
Who's going to be whining when it DOES become legal? You. And I'll say exactly the same.
And yes, WHEN...I have no doubt Maine's upcoming generation WILL be voting Yes.

Can the real Octane please stand up? Why do these toolish peopel keep acting like him?

it was a similar vote in CA

In a backwards-ish kinda way, this vote is kind of a victory. The first time voting on both and it was nearly split 50/50. Imagine what the vote will look like when the baby boom generation is gone.

[Cavortia]

Human rights are not, nor will they ever be, a political issue. They are not negotiable. When you deny any group its rights, you are going against the core principle of freedom: equality.

[this rainbow lover]

Le Cynique

The majority should not be allowed to vote on minority rights.

If minority rights were always decided based on a vote, we'd probably still have slaves.

Sums up my feelings on the subject.

[marshmallowcreampie]

Akiroti

Phantomboy411

another thing, we talk about the civil rights movement, women's suffrage movement, etc., but the thing is, those were MOVEMENTS. they had organized protests and leaders, and worked hard to make change for their rights. now, unless i'm mistaken, the only thing gay people can't legally is marry most of the time, and the only thing that's going to change that is if they actually make a move. protest or something. otherwise, we're stuck with voting.

In each campaign the gays have done way more than the anti-gays. They've marched, they've been to Washington, They've met the President, they've protested. This IS a movement. It may not be of the same magnitude, but you can't deny its existence.

Agreed, the gay movement has been going on, but it takes time to get full rights. With women, they had to get the right to vote, the right to work, equal salary to a mans, right to own land... They couldn't get it all at once. Same with gays, didn't there used to be laws barring them from more than marriage? Sodomy was illegal in several states until the case of Lawrence v. Texas in about 2004, which led to legalizing sodomy on a federal level. Years ago, I think in the 60s, some people tried to pass a law that would ban gays and gay-rights supporters from teaching in public schools. With hard work from the gay rights community, the law was not passed.

Besides, minority rights > majority rules. When the case of Loving v. Virginia was being decided on (it was the case that made interracial marriage legal on a federal level), I think it said about 70% of Americans at the time were against legalizing interracial marriage. And yet, the Lovings still won. Had it been placed up to public vote, they would not have, and it would have been MUCH longer before we got interracial marriage. Hell, maybe we wouldn't have it today. Sometimes the government has to step for minorities to get people to start accepting them. If minorities are being discriminated against, even by a majority, sometimes the government has to come up and say "This is NOT right" and take measures to help stop the discrimination. Kind of like with hate crimes, where a crime is listed as a hate crime if you beat someone up because of their gender, religion, race, and in some places, sexual orientation. Granted, there isn't extra punishment for a crime listed as a hate crime, but it's more of a social label to show that discrimination against that group is wrong.