Gay Marriage Ban Rejected in Arizona

[Onlooker]

http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory?id=2637649

Nov 8, 2006 (AP)— In a triple setback for conservatives, South Dakotans rejected a law that would have banned virtually all abortions, Arizona became the first state to defeat an amendment to ban gay marriage and Missouri approved a measure backing stem cell research.

Nationwide, a total of 205 measures were on the ballots in 37 states Tuesday, but none had riveted political activists across the country like the South Dakota measure. Passed overwhelmingly by the legislature earlier this year, it would have been the toughest abortion law in the nation, allowing the procedure only to save a pregnant woman's life.

Lawmakers had hoped the ban would be challenged in court, provoking litigation that might eventually lead to a U.S. Supreme Court reversal of the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision legalizing abortion.

:)

[WillParkinson]

1. Wow...

While this doesn't make me feel better about Wisconsin and our now being relegated to the role of second class citizens, it's nice to know that someone "gets it".

[B3Nut]

2. Some of us in WI do get it...

...but apparently more of us have not quite gotten the Neanderthal out of our system. Sigh...the rural areas of Wisconsin are still rather red. Wisconsin indeed gave the world Bob LaFollette, but also gave the world Joe McCarthy. We have Feingold, but we also have Sensenbrenner. :( I still love my state though, only been living here for 4 years but it's a great place to live all things considered.

Todd in Beerbratistan

[Big Sky Boy]

28. Cheer up... The numbers are trending better...

All the biggotted anti-gay ballot measures that drew the right-wing base to the polls in 2004 and 2005 passed with overwhelming margins.

80-20 75-25 etc.

While we still see that in the bible belt.

The margins up north of 52-48 and 51-49 are a lot closer--which leads me to believe that actually may be reversed a few years from now.

Who would have guessed that South Dakota would lift an abortion ban by popular vote? The tide is turning.

[Sabriel]

39. Don't forget we're the home of the John Birch Society, too.

Can't get much more right wing than that.

[Kber]

4. In otherwords

take your invasive social agenda and shove it up Haggard's ass!

[Strathos]

8. Why give him a good time? LOL

Sorry, I couldn't resist.

[Ian David]

3. Awesome, Arizona!! Congrats!!! Now, Massachusetts needs help!

The Massachusetts Constitutional Convention begins on Thursday, November 9th.

We need EVERYONE at The State House to help!


Constitutional Convention
November 9, 2006 6:00 am - 7:00 pm

Massachusetts legislators will vote on a constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage.

We need you to join us at the State House and show your support for equality.

Whether you can join us for the full day or just for an hour before work or at lunch, we need you there.

The future of marriage equality in Massachusetts and in the nation may be decided on this day -- and you need to be there.

Together, we are a team. And together we will win.
sign-up today
http://www.massequality.org/events/?id=10263

Contact your legislators http://www.massequality.org/action/start.php

Your voice matters. Stand for equality. Write your local newspaper
http://www.massequality.org/action/lte.php

What can you do to join the fight for equality? More than you think.

Volunteer with MassEquality http://www.massequality.org/action/volunteer.php

Tell your friends http://www.massequality.org/action/tell.php

Make a donation http://www.massequality.org/action/don.php

Share your story http://www.massequality.org/action/share.php

More ways you can take action http://www.massequality.org/action/

Together, we are a team. And together we will win.
sign-up today
http://www.massequality.org/events/?id=10263


See also:

From: The Task Force, Inc.
Date: Nov 8, 2006
Subject: Election 2006: Support for same-sex marriage grows significantly


Arizona poised to deliver first-ever win in defeating anti-marriage amendment

Races coast to coast show supporting fairness for gay families is a plus; aligning with the extreme Christian right a big minus

WASHINGTON, Nov. 8 — For the first time, a proposed constitutional amendment to ban any form of legal recognition for same-sex couples was poised for defeat, and 39 percent of voters opposed the bans, a significant increase over the 33 percent who opposed similar ballot measures in 2004.

As important, election results in House, Senate and gubernatorial races coast to coast show that supporting fairness for gay and lesbian families is not a liability, while aligning with the extreme Christian right is.

Anti-marriage constitutional amendments

Anti-marriage amendments were on the ballot in eight states and were approved in seven of the eight, but by significantly lower margins than in past years. In 2004, there were 11 anti-marriage amendments on the November ballot, and in only two of them did opposition top 40 percent: Oregon (43 percent) and Michigan (41 percent). Early this morning, five out of the eight states topped 40 percent, including Arizona, Colorado, South Dakota, Virginia and Wisconsin.

“It’s clear that fear-mongering around same-sex marriage by the GOP and the extreme Christian right is fizzling out,” said Matt Foreman, executive director of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force. “It doesn’t have the juice it had just two years ago — people are getting sick of it.”

Two states — South Dakota and Virginia — did far better than pundits expected. In South Dakota the margin was 48 percent to 52 percent and was attributed to a strong campaign run with meager resources by South Dakotans Against Discrimination and its campaign manager Jon Hoadley, and a strong “live and let live” ethos among South Dakotans.

In Virginia , the margin was 43 percent to 57 percent, a tie with the best-showing state in 2004 (Oregon). Assumptions that the margin would be higher reflected a failure to understand how much the Old Dominion has changed and underestimating the strength of the “Vote No on #1” campaign managed by Claire Guthrie Gastañaga.

In Colorado, meanwhile, with 60 percent of the precincts reporting voters were rejecting a measure to extend domestic partnership rights to same-sex couples and their families. The outcome of the measure remained uncertain due to widespread delays in the tabulation of votes in Denver and Boulder.

Historic win in Arizona

Arizona was poised to become the first state to reject an anti-marriage constitutional amendment, by a margin of 51 percent to 49 percent (with 97 percent of the precincts reporting). Through today, voters in 28 states have voted on marriage amendments since 1998, with Arizona being the only state to reject an amendment.

“It is always wrong to put basic rights up for a popular vote and it is nearly impossible for any minority to protect itself when that happens. But today, in Arizona it looks like the impossible happened,” said Foreman. “This sweet victory will be due to an exceptional campaign run by ‘No on 107’ and its campaign chair Cindy Jordan and ‘Arizona Together’ and its campaign chair Kyrsten Sinema, and the hundreds of volunteers who worked on the campaign.”

The No on 107 campaign in Southern Arizona was extremely successful at using messages that openly and honestly shared how same-sex couples in the state would be harmed by the amendment. And, Arizona Together, the statewide campaign, was also extremely successful at showing how broad anti-marriage amendments that also outlaw domestic partner benefits and civil unions harm everyone, including heterosexual couples. Combined, the messages of both campaigns were able to convince a majority of Arizona voters that marriage discrimination has no place in their constitution.

“Arizona will have a special place in history as the first state to reject an anti-gay marriage ballot measure. We know it will not be the last,” said Foreman.

Pro-gay candidates triumph over those aligned with extreme Christian right

The influence of the extreme Christian right took a major hit this election as voters elected a number of pro-gay candidates and rejected some of the nation’s most vocal anti-gay candidates.

“Across the nation, voters rejected candidates who aligned themselves with the extreme Christian right wing agenda and repudiated Karl Rove’s divisive strategy of relying on the GOP’s base of so-called ‘values voters’ and divisive wedge issues to win elections,” said Foreman. “Voters didn’t fall for it this time. The extreme Christian right has been revealed as the Achilles heel of the Republican Party in races across the country.” (Individual races are detailed below.)

Defeat of Santorum and Hostettler in Pennsylvania and Indiana overjoys lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community

Voters sent packing two of the most anti-gay members of Congress: Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum, the third-ranking GOP leader in the Senate who compared same-sex marriage to “man on child, man on dog” sex, lost his seat to Democrat challenger Bob Casey, and in Indiana, Democratic challenger Brad Ellsworth defeated Republican Rep. John Hostettler, one of the House’s anti-gay leaders. Hostettler, who was elected in the GOP sweep of 1994, worked to slash funding for AIDS programs and drafted the Marriage Protection Act, designed to prevent federal courts from ordering states to recognize same-sex marriages permitted in other states. In this year’s campaign, he ran a campaign ad that warned that if he lost and House leadership changed hands, “(Nancy) Pelosi will then put in motion her radical plan to advance the homosexual agenda, led by Barney Frank, reprimanded by the House after paying for sex with a man who ran a gay brothel out of Congressman Frank's home." The statement about Frank was factually incorrect.

“We are thrilled, ecstatic and overjoyed that Rick Santorum has been thrashed at the polls. His extreme and gratuitous homophobia will no longer pollute the Senate. Good riddance,” Foreman said. “Ditto for Hostettler in the House. To him we offer an equally enthusiastic good-bye.”

Pro-gay gubernatorial candidates victorious in Wisconsin, Michigan and Ohio

In Wisconsin, Ohio, Michigan and Oregon, pro-gay gubernatorial candidates triumphed over candidates closely aligned with the extreme Christian right.

In Wisconsin, where an anti-marriage amendment was on the ballot, Democratic incumbent Gov. Jim Doyle defeated Republican Mark Green. Republicans, who dominate the state Legislature, put the marriage amendment on the ballot in a transparent attempt to influence the gubernatorial contest. Doyle campaigned against the marriage amendment while Green strongly supported it. Polls leading up to the vote showed the two candidates consistently within two to three points of each other.

“Jim Doyle’s convincing win proves that the right-wing attempt to win the governor’s mansion by attacking gay families failed and failed miserably,” said Foreman. “People who believe in justice and equality owe a lot to Governor Doyle for standing up for gay people so consistently and so courageously.”

In Ohio, Democrat Ted Strickland beat Republican Ken Blackwell by a wide margin. Blackwell is one of the most virulently anti-gay elected officials in the nation, a chief advocate of Ohio’s 2004 anti-marriage constitutional amendment and an outspoken opponent of Cincinnati’s recent nondiscrimination law. Strickland, on the other hand, voted against the Federal Marriage Amendment as a member of Congress and opposed the 2004 Ohio state constitutional amendment banning same-sex partner recognition of any kind.

“We saw Republicans and Christian right extremists trying to use an anti-gay family amendment to help win Ohio for Bush-Cheney in 2004. Yet in 2006 Ohio voters have rejected the politics of division and elected a moderate who opposes scapegoating gay and lesbian families for political gain.”

In Michigan, Democratic incumbent Jennifer Granholm defeated Republican challenger Dick DeVos. Gay and reproductive rights both played a role in the race. In mid-September, the Triangle Foundation, a statewide LGBT organization, linked DeVos to a $10,000 gift to the American Family Association, which is leading a boycott against Ford Motor Company because it advertises in gay publications. Because the financial woes of the big three auto companies have created financial hardships for the state, this received widespread publicity. Granholm picked up additional support through a series of ads telling that while she personally opposed abortion, she supported a woman’s right to choose while DeVos opposed abortion in all cases, including instances of rape or incest. Both candidates opposed a ballot initiative to end affirmative action in the state.

“In 2004, DeVos supported an amendment which stripped thousands of public sector employees in Michigan of employer provided health coverage. Then we learned that DeVos’ family is supporting the boycott of Ford Motor Company. Michigan voters have rejected this anti-gay zealot who puts his own bigotry ahead of the needs of Michigan families and workers,” Foreman said.

In Oregon, voters re-elected Gov. Ted Kulongoski , one of the most pro-gay governors in the nation, defeating Rox Saxton. During the campaign, Kulongoski strongly supported civil unions and nondiscrimination legislation. Saxton, on the other hand, openly courted the support of the vehemently anti-gay Oregon Family Council and said he would veto any bill protecting gay people from discrimination.

“Oregonians re-elected the most pro-gay sitting governor in the nation, beating an opponent who courted and received the enthusiastic support of anti-gay forces in the state. Kulongoski was re-elected without wavering — and in fact, continually reaffirming — his commitment to civil unions,” said Foreman.

Nation’s first pro-marriage governors elected by wide margins

In Massachusetts and New York, pro-marriage equality gubernatorial candidates Deval Patrick and Eliot Spitzer were elected by landslides. This is the first time pro-marriage equality candidates have been elected governor of any state.

“Massachusetts and New York voters have elected in overwhelming landslides the first two governors ever who support marriage equality for same-sex couples. These historic victories show that support for full equality for our families is not a negative but something voters are willing to embrace enthusiastically,” Foreman said.

Pro-equality local measures pass in Michigan and Oregon

In Ferndale, Mich., residents overwhelmingly approved nondiscrimination protections based on sexual orientation by nearly three to one. Ferndale voters rejected a similar ordinance by just 117 votes in February 2000. This campaign was the third attempt since 1991 to pass a human rights ordinance barring such discrimination in housing, employment, and public accommodation. And more than 60 percent of voters in Corvallis, Ore., voted to amend their city charter to provide equal protection and nondiscrimination for all, inclusive of sexual orientation and gender identity or expression.

“The campaigns in Ferndale and Corvallis show the depth of local support for nondiscrimination protections for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people,” said Foreman. “We applaud Ferndale Alliance Valuing Our Residents and Inclusive Corvallis for coordinating these victorious campaigns, which has sent a resounding a message to those who seek to target our community that hatred and intolerance have no place in Ferndale or Corvallis.”


-30-
The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, Inc. ("NGLTF, INC."), founded in 1974, works to build the grassroots political power of the LGBT community to win complete equality. We do this through direct and grassroots lobbying to defeat anti-LGBT ballot initiatives and legislation and pass pro-LGBT legislation and other measures. We also analyze and report on the positions of candidates for public office on issues of importance to the LGBT community. NGLTF, Inc. is a 501(c)(4) non-profit corporation incorporated in New York. Contributions to NGLTF, Inc. are not tax-deductible.

[Neshanic]

5. We need to thank all the new Californians that moved here.

They helped make this possible.

[demzilla]

20. Arizona has always had a strong libertarian streak

and I doubt transplants from California made the difference. There is an old west individualistic live-and-let-live attitude that still permeates. Arizonans approved medical marijuana in the past, for example.

The religious right has never done too well here, thank Flying Spaghetti Monster.

[blondeatlast]

41. You, dear neighbor, get a big, fat a-MEN!

[blondeatlast]

40. BS--it's the old-line Goldwater Republicans who made it happen.

They want the guv out our biz just as much as I, a longtime AZ liberal (and very much so) do.

[dback]

43. This is definitely the revenge of Barry Goldwater's ghost

He was a small-government, Western consertive who thought the powers-that-be had no business mucking in people's private lives, and he was devoted to his gay grandson. By the time he died, he was convinced that the party had completely abandoned its roots (not to mention its senses). This fits perfectly with his mindset.

[alarimer]

6. Excellent!

take that, you right-wing fundie assholes. We hate your guts.

[MissMillie]

7. AZ... I love you!

thank you for leading the way when it comes to common sense.

[skypilot]

9. Sweet Jesus!!!!

I didn't watch any of the election coverage last night because I thought it would be too nerve-wracking. I overslept this morning and by the time I turned on the news there was nothing but weather and Britney Spears. I log into DU and I am just overwhelmed. Over-fucking-whelmed. :bounce:

[Sal316]

10. The "No on 107" people here ran a great campaign.

They didn't focus on 'gay marriage' per se, something that would have killed them. Instead they focused on what 107 meant to everyone else (seniors, domestic partnerships, etc.) and appealed to people's sense of decency and fairness.

Alot of powerful endorsements on the 'NO' side didn't hurt, either, such as firefighters and police.

[YankeyMCC]

11. The people are waking up

at least its looking more hopeful that people are finally fed up with being lied to and watching the right and neo-cons mismanage this nation.

Still I don't want to get to content, there is much work to be done, in fact more now than before.

[boddhi]

12. Arizona gives better treatment to hogs but worse treatment to illegal immigrants.

We did pretty well for a generally red state, and 107 was a sham by the bedfellows of the insurance industry (who wanted out of supporting domestic partners) and the RR, but this sums up how I felt this morning (I'm from Tucson ;)):

http://www.tucsoncitizen.com/daily/opinion/31951.php

Election 2006: Irony; a big win for Napolitano
A day on which Arizona voters decided to give better treatment to hogs, but worse treatment to illegal immigrants.

We in Tucson and Pima County often think the denizens of Phoenix and Maricopa County have had a bit too much bareheaded exposure to 110-degree heat to allow clear-mindedness on things political.
But we can't argue with a county - Maricopa, that is - voting overwhelmingly to re-elect Janet Napolitano. The Democrat got more than 60 percent of Maricopa County votes. Of course, we in Pima County were even smarter, giving her nearly 70 percent.
<snip>
The voters have spoken, with just a touch of irony: Treat hogs better than human beings. That is, if the humans beings are criminal suspect illegal immigrants.
Proposition 204, the Humane Treatment of Farm Animals Act, passed with more than 60 percent.
Meanwhile, Prop. 100 - requiring illegal immigrants accused of serious crimes be held without bail - passed by a nearly 4-to-1 margin statewide.

Still a long ways to go... sigh...

[Adamocrat]

13. Thank you AZ!

I'll take my victories where I can.

[David__77]

14. Wow... Arizona leads the way!

Credit where credit is due! This is a true milestone.

[Rob H.]

15. Wish I could say the same here in TN re: gay marriage

The vote was 81% in favor of amending the constitution to define marriage as strictly between a man and a woman--personally, I think it was put on the ballot to get out the conservative fundagelical vote.

All I could think about it when I went to the polls was,"Let's see: a war in Iraq, a gigantic federal deficit, poverty, hunger, homelessness, 45 million Americans without health care, AND THIS IS THE STUPID BULLSHIT WE'RE WORRYING ABOUT?!?"

Obviously, I was one of the 49,075 people in Shelby County who voted against it.

[dbackjon]

18. TN went backwards yesterday

Even South-fricken Carolina did better.

Another reason my partner and I are moving back to Arizona.....I HATE Tennessee.

[justin899]

34. You're right

It's still going backwards. It's one of the few states which doesn't have a single county or municipality enact gay-inclusive anti-discrimination laws.

Of course the amendment may not have had such huge numbers had anyone actually fought against it. It doesn't help when BOTH parties are running candidates on a homophobic platform. The Democratic governor voted for the amendment and even made a joke to a newspaper reporter that the only question would be whether it passed by 60&% or 80%. Then you had the homobigot Harold Ford, Jr, running on a platform of passing the federal amendment, bragging at campaign stops that he voted for the federal amendment in the House not once but twice, and that he would do the same in the Senate.

Free tip for future reference for Democrats: when the election is close it isn't wise for Democrats to tell their gay constituency that, if elected, they will discriminate against them by promoting a discriminatory constitutional amendment, especially when it isn't even an issue in the campaign. Doing so doesn't exactly make people eager to go out and vote for you in races which are dependent on voter turnout.

[Rowdyboy]

16. Wow....Just wow....I'm having so much fun.....

Things couldn't be much better.

[Treclo]

17. Nice Work, AZ!!!!

I wintered in Quartzsite, AZ for the past two winters, and I am happily surprised for you! Right on!

However, I live in northern Idaho now where people are not so enlightened. I think our man/woman only marraige initiative passed by something like 70%. :mad: :( :( :mad:

It is very disappointing here at home, but it's encouraging to see the good that has happened across the rest of the country.

[NoSheep]

19. Great news!!!! This issue just makes my head explode.

[torrentprime]

21. Politically

The good news is that the right-wing has lost forever the "every state has passed a ban" line for their propaganda. Finally, a failure.

[pro_blue_guy]

22. Go AZ! I think I like the desert, now :)

[Zambero]

23. Goldwater would approve of the results

Also nice that AZ loose cannon J.D. Hayworth bit the dust!

[mahatmakanejeeves]

32. You beat me to it.

Goldwater didn't care at all for DADT. He said (or implied; it will take a while to Google for the quote) that Clinton should have issued an executive order, and that if the brass didn't like it, they could quit. Goldwater's grandson (one of them? I don't know how many there are) is gay.

I loved Goldwater's comment, "you don't have to be straight to shoot straight." I always liked the guy, politics regardless. He and JFK were close and, the story goes, had planned to campaign together in 1964.

Goldwater: there was a man with integrity.

[Miss Chybil]

24. Gay marriage is already banned in AZ. The proposition was a weak

attempt to get the fundies out to vote. Passage would have impacted domestic partner benefits - i.e. healthcare for significant others from many major employers. Gays still cannot get married in AZ.

[justin899]

33. That's irrelevant. It was already banned in all of the other states as well

It is significant that it failed in Arizona. It's far easier to overturn a legislative law than to repeal an amendment once it has passed.

Every single one of the victories have come from state courts interpreting state constitutions. Once those constitutions are amended there is no further recourse. You'll just have to move out of state if you want equal rights.

[Ms. Toad]

38. In addition to be harder to reverse

Invalidating a state constitutional prohibition because it is unconstitutional under the federal constitution is a somewhat harder to do than invalidating a state law. (Interracial marriage were finally recognized by establishing that refusal to recognize other states' marriages was prohibited by the federal constitution.)

[sebastianj333]

25. I wish my state (TN) had that to say today :(

but it doesn't :(

But YEA! Arizona rocks!
Even if they have McCain...

[gully]

26. GREAT NEWS!

!

[Politicub]

27. The wheel is turning

Who knew Arizona would be such a trailblazer for human rights?

[Chovexani]

29. I'm very proud of my adopted state.

:)

[bulletsandspikes]

30. Thank you AZ because in VA I'm surrounded by too many homophobes

[swimboy]

31. That is SO beYOND EXcellent!!!

I'm in Virginia! :cry:

[Anakin Skywalker]

35. Whoa! Good for Arizona! Voters with Independent Thoughts and Courage!

Bravo to South Dakotans too! Common sense is NOT dead after all!

[HockeyMom]

36. My niece and her partner moved to Phoenix

from NY. They have recently bought a house together. From what she has said, they feel very welcome in Arizona.

[TheFarseer]

37. finally this BS goes down

in Arizona and South Dakota no less! Stop over Spending got bitch slapped in Nebraska! Are people starting to look at things pragmatically and not listening to rhetoric and snappy slogans? I certainly hope so. Now we just need to get over thinking the government should be Santa Claus and give us a tax cut when we are 9 trillion in the hole.

[Az_lefty]

42. Yep, we defeated it...

I'm proud of my fellow Arizonans tonight.