Funny, Maine anti-gays: You loved the legislature 12 years ago!

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09/03/2009

by Jeremy Hooper

Want to see complete hypocrisy in action? Of course you do. So follow along, dear kiddies.

In their press release celebrating official approval of their "people's veto" signatures, Maine's anti-gay side says the following (highlighting our own):

Stand for Marriage Maine will now move to the next phase of the campaign and right two wrongs caused by wealthy homosexual special interests from away:

* The elevation of homosexual marriage that was done by disregarding centuries of wisdom, throwing on the trash heap of history the page from Maine law that says “..the State has a compelling interest to nurture and promote the unique institution of traditional monogamous marriage in the support of harmonious families and the physical and mental health of children;”

* The blatant disregard for the will of the majority of Mainers who support the definition of marriage as between a man and woman.
..
Current Maine law honors traditional monogamous marriage as “the basic building block of our society.” LD 1020 says not only that traditional monogamous marriage is not the basic building block of society, but also that it is completely unnecessary.
Secretary of State Determines People’s Veto of Homosexual Marriage Bill Will Be On 11/3/09 Ballot [Stand For Marriage Maine]

So to hear them tell it, same-sex marriage would completely uproot historical Maine law. And if this happened without a public vote, then it would be out of line, since Mainers should have the opportunity to weigh in on any such change. That is they're basically saying, no?

Well get this: This part of the law that they paint as so historical? Yea, it dates way, way back to that ancient year of 1997! And who, you ask, put this text into the law? Well that would be the -- wait for it, wait for it, wait for it --

STATE Motha Frickin' LEGISLATURE!!!!!!!

Yes, that's right: This oh so cherished part of the marriage law was initiated by the elected representatives during a late 90's DOMA scare. And at that time, the local social conservatives were simply THRILLED with the lawmakers handling such a matter:

Maine lawmakers Wednesday approved a ban on same-sex marriages, likely avoiding a controversial referendum campaign on the issue.

The Senate's 24-10 tally came a day after the House voted by a 106-39 margin for the ban. Following the lopsided preliminary votes, final enactment was routine. Gov. Angus King has said he would not prevent the measure from becoming law. ``The people of the state of Maine, now represented by their political leaders, have wisely moved to protect the institution of marriage from the marauding of opportunistic gay activists,'' said Carolyn Cosby, leader of the group whose petition drive forced the issue before the Legislature.

``The veto-proof margins in both houses make it a certainty that CMF's petition will be enacted into law,'' said the leader of Concerned Maine Families.
BUY THE FULL ARTICLE ($2) [Portland Press Herald]

They didn't need a majority of Mainers to go against us -- they only insist that our lives and loves to be put up to the whims of public opinion when we are the ones with something to gain! because courts, lawmakers, presidents -- the only consistency these "pro-fammers" display towards our branches of government is in the way they scorn whichever one is currently supporting our civil liberties.

So just ask yourself, Mainers: Why should any of us trust a movement that is unabashedly one-sided in terms of what kind of treatment of what kind of people must pass a public smell test before it can become law? Or better yet, ask yourself who they will come after next!

**SEE ALSO: The fabulous Maine-based blog Dirigo Blue covered this very issue a few days before us: So traditional, it wasn't added to Maine law until 1997 [DG]

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