Gay marriage loses In Maine

eventhough i'm queer, for so long i didn't care about gay marriage. My mom was married and divorced 3 times. i wished any unions, even platonic ones, could be given "rights and responsibilities" - (read "Beyond Straight and Gay Marriage"). But after prop 8 here in california and now one in Maine, I'm getting sad. It's just pathetic how people would actually vote to deprive other couples of rights. I can't believe they can decide our lives for us! Someday people will look back on this time in history and be as appalled by the intolerance as I am.

A majority suppressing the rights of a small minority is what our constitution was set to protect against....so in the end...equal rights will be the rights of all. (it may take a long time,..but it will get there)

You can't help but feel pessimistic. This country is not ready for gay marriage. The American people are NOT live-and-let-live, they want to IMPOSE their way of life on everyone. It sickens me how homophobic and self-righteous the people of this country can be sometimes.

But start threatening their Bible and their God and they go crazy and start talking about freedoms and liberties and tolerance. Its these same people that go out on Tuesday mornings and sign away the liberty of others to live their lives as they see fit with paper and pencil.

And before I get some idiot arguing that gays were trying to impose their lifestyle on the rest of Americans, let me just tell you this. If anyone's is imposing anything on anyone its YOU. Gay marriage has nothing to do with your marriage, the failure or success of which lies in YOUR hands. But on the other hand your vote IS going to impose on other people's freedom to marry DIRECTLY.

The argument that it will mean that gay marriage will be taught in schools is so bigoted its not even funny. It reminds me of the racist white Southerners who were afraid that allowing inter-racial marriage would mean that it would be taught in schools. And these people call themselves Christians?... Actually, I'm not surprised, its just how most Christians act in this country.

Good job, you have reminded me (and millions of other young people) why I am not one of you.

This is increasingly annoying. I'm tired of fundamentalists and bigots dictating what they feel is "morally right" when they themselves, are violating the first amendment by forcing their religious beliefs down our throats.

They are taxpayers.
They are community members.
They are citizens of the US.
They are humans.

The audacity of the idea that we should shove a group of people into a category of being second class is infuriating. How is this different from interracial marriages? Then again, a judge denied an interracial couple a marriage license. We are FAR from where we SHOULD be.

One day those who oppose gay marriage will feel ashamed like those that opposed interracial marriages and adopting a different raced child. No excuse for this type of ignorance in 2009!

Fuck! I doubt it will stay that way for long though. It'll take time (hopefully I'll see it in my lifetime), but we will eventually see the day when everyone can marry regardless of sex.

This is sad and appalling. I have to give it up to the neo-cons/republicans/fundamentalists, they know how to get people to the polls. I really don't believe that these representatives that are in office and fronting these anti-gay beliefs care about the issue itself. They are just rallying their base voters and getting them out to vote. That is all this is. The fundamentalist voters either fall for this or they are willing to trade their votes so that they can have their beliefs made into law and thus forced on others.

I have to agree with everyone here that is expressing their disappointment.

I really takes a special kind of "American" to vote to inhibit the rights of other Americans.

Hats of to the douche bags.

There are a lot of cold hearted people in Maine .

More great news from Election Day 2009. WOO HOO!

The same thing happened with women's voting rights. The legislature would legalize it, and the people would promptly reject it. It has to do with the difference of interests between politicians and the people.

And to be fair, a lot of people support gay rights and everything, but just disagree with same-sex *marriage*. Referendum 71 passed in Washington, which guarantees that same-sex partners in civil unions will have the same rights as married couples. That is, atleast, a plus.

I support marriage equality, but I still hold that it's an issue to be decided by the states.

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Its not over is all I can say. We will fight to the bitter end until there is marriage equality for all in the whole country.

When will these idiots get their heads out of the F ing bible. Love is Love. Shit!

To preface, I have to say that I am a resident of Maine and voted no on Question 1.

I think it is ridiculous that the legislature would put a question of minority rights on an off-year ballot. Although a majority of our residents turned out nevertheless, as usual, we are still essentially voting on discrimination. I am pleased to see that 48% of Mainers have enough empathy to agree on equality. I think it is disgusting that some comments have generalized Mainers as "cold hearted" or "douche bags", look in the mirror, would your state get a majority vote on this?

On the other hand, I am surprised to see 48% on this vote. The question was phrased as a double negative for support of same-sex marriage. This could have been confusing, no I don't want to repeal the law, I want the law to stand. (Maine education isn't great)

As the older generation dies off, gay rights will be enacted everywhere. The movement for equality and acceptance has come a long way and should not be discouraged by this vote. A question I do have, just to play devil's advocate: Why should the union between two people be seen as marriage, which is in and of itself deeply religious in nature, when it is not between a man and woman as the religion states it must be? Can you understand why people may vote against this based on semantics and religious belief? Make civil union and marriage the same thing legally and would the question still matter?

I don't feel this is right!

Yes another win for conservatives! sorry gay people but hey theress still civil unions

Marriage is stupid and outdated anyway.

Are they going to file a lawsuit, like they did in California? I think they should.

Apparently there are 15,000 people in Maine who haven't read a little thing called the Constitution. Decisions like this should be made by legislators who's only bias is to the law, not narrow, dogmatic, conservative views of an ignorant and hateful public.

I feel like my vote didn't do anything unfortunately

Please dont blame Chrisitanity for this, Im a Christian myself and i completely support gay rights. The Bible taught us to love and accept everyone, and thats the way I live my life. I think some people use religion as a way to disguise fear and prejudice.

I'm sorry only a few people in Maine destroyed the rights of many in that state. But don't worry guys. Just pick yourself up, brush yourself off and get back in the fight. Because you've just lost a battle but the war isn't over.

Personally I think Marriage as a union thru the American government is an intrusion of the separation of church and state. It should be downgraded into Civil Unions--so everyone could be married and religion is not force upon the government.

Perhaps there should be a new strategy (or an additional one) to go after things that are prejudiced toward people who are married, such as tax exemptions, etc. If people who are gay can't legally get married then they should have a good case against policies and laws that favor people who are married.

shameful