Same-sex marriage bill passes in Maine
[cnn-photo-caption image= http://i.l.cnn.net/cnn/2008/US/05/15/same.sex.marriage/art.gay.marriage.gi.jpg caption="Maine lawmakers Wednesday voted to make same-sex marriage legal in the state."](CNN) - Maine lawmakers Wednesday voted to make same-sex marriage legal in the state, the state Office of Legislative Information said. The bill now goes to Gov. John Baldacci for his signature or veto.
Baldacci, a Democrat, has not said whether he will sign it.
"He's going to make a decision when it hits his desk," spokesman Dan Cashman told CNN immediately after the vote. He said the governor is likely to make a statement later in the day.
Three states - Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Iowa - currently allow same-sex marriages. Vermont has passed a law making gay and lesbian marriages legal. That bill takes effect in September. New Hampshire lawmakers are close to passing a similar bill.
A slim majority of Americans are against legal recognition for same-sexmarriage, CNN polling found last month. Fifty-four percent of adults questioned in an April 23-26 nationwide CNN/Opinion Research Corp. poll said that marriages between gay or lesbian couples should not be recognized as valid, while 44 percent said they should be considered legal.
The survey's sampling error was plus or minus 3 percentage points.
Go ahead, keep slapping God in the face. No wonder America is a sinking ship.
excellent news!...by the way Dr... yes you do see 2 male birds mating, both Swans & Seagulls have shown these tendencies as have humboldt penguins, japanese macaque, killer whales and koalas in fact researchers have identified over 300 species who have demonstrated homosexual tendencies...i usually get my facts straight first....look in the scientific literature...you maybe surprised
If I hear, "its Adam and Eve not Adam and Steve" one more time I might go crazy. WE cannot call ourselves the land of equality, if everyone does not have the same, EQUAL rights. We decided in the 1950s that separate but equal was not EQUAL. Why do the actions of one person, concern an entire country? Why is God crying over this but not crying over the fact that 51% of American marriages end in divorce; where's the sanctity in that? And "Dr. Joel"...where did you get your doctorate? You spelled embrace wrong. Furthermore, when a Priest or Reverend marries a couple, he says "By the power invested in me by God AND THE STATE OF _________" It is not a solely religious right, otherwise you would not need a license.
To all the neo-cons stating homosexuality is a "preference" you hold the key to the whole issue! Just let us homosexual men know how you decide to be heterosexual.
Is it a daily decision, maybe while shaving? One day you shave your face, the next day your legs?
How does it work out when the wife wants to discuss drilling and you have chosen that day to be interested in drill bits?
What if the little woman has chosen the fondness for flannel, power tools and deck building the same day you are packing wood?
What happens on the day the wife wants to go see "Mama Mia" based on ABBA but you would rather stay home shadow dancing to “Dancing Queen" by ABBA? I do not know how you guys keep all the balls in the air so to speak!
Maybe we will just start believing homosexuality is no more a choice or "preference" than is heterosexuality.
Same-gender marriage helps millions, hurts no one.
What's the problem?
This kind of makes me sick to my stomach. I am pretty tolerant of people's lifestyle choices, but this is way too much.
Let's hear it for States' Rights!!!!!
Marriage is between a man and a woman, and has been since the beginning of time. It is also ridiculous to compare racial inequality with same sex marriage in this country.Racial inequality was just that, inequality, unequal in housing, education, voting. Same sex couples have equal rights in all of the above. The issue I and many other Americans have is this push for legalized marriage for same sex couples is a not so cleverly disguised attempt to get a seal of approval for the lifestyle. I personally do not care how any individual chooses to live their lives. Same sex couples have every right to support each other financially, and every other way. I do not agree however, they have the right to tell me and millions of others marriage between a man and another man is a marriage. Same sex couples can say what they want, marrying each other is still not going to white wash their lifestyle or ease their conscious. Right is right, and wrong is wrong. The line is so blurred, people now readily accept a LIE for truth. Marriage between same sex couples is a LIE.
God Bless America and EVERY American! Wish Kansas would come around on civil rights and not just stop with Brown V. Board. There's no place like home!
Great idea, if the people continually reject gay marriage on ballot measures, just let the legislators who know better than their constituents ram it down their throats anyway. I'm sure proud of our ruling class of legislators.
So gays and lexbians can legally be joined. Thank God they will never reproduce.
Wow, that's disturbing....and I just ate. Whew
I am a heterosexual who hopes the governor signs this bill. In the past century, our great nation has made so much progress in ensuring equal rights for all groups (female, minorities, disabled, etc.). A few decades from now, we will be able to look back and see who the leaders were who bravely continued our commitment to equality for all.
These right-wing religious nuts drive me crazy.
MIND YOUR OWN BUSINESS!!
If you don't like abortion – don't have one.
If you don't like gay marriage – then have an "opposite marriage"
Continue to live in your small, close-minded, fantasy land, and leave the rest of us alone.
Why should straight people get all the rights in this country .. and how does it hurt the institution of marriage to give gays equal rights?
Are straight people afraid that married people are now going to ask for divorces so they can go out and find new spouses of the same gender?
"Hey Baby, we've been married for twenty years and it's been great. But now that it is legal, I think I need to move on and get with another guy for a while."
Divorce rates will sky rocket in those states that allow gay marriage. This is just a new fad and a money maker for states.
"Even in nature, you don't see two male birds mating. It is a "sickness" for any man to have romantic feelings for another man."
It's true that two male birds don't have sex, but monkeys and apes do! (By the way, scientists say we are related to them...) Apparently they have understood (as we all have) that sex is not just for mating.
Anyone person that tries to come along and say that sex is only for mating has been living on another planet. It's in movies, advertisements, magazine covers, music, books (including the Bible!), etc. God/Nature made sex to feel good so that animals would mate and the species would survive. But now that we are so good at surviving (medicine, science, etc.), the physical feeling still remains. It is not important to even debate how each person wants to feel good. Who cares what other people are doing? We have real problems in this world, and who other people have sex with is not one of them.
People on the board need to stop emphasizing the Bible. It uses and outdated morality code in it. Good for year 200, but not for 2009. I don't want the nation to be ruled by 2nd Century thinking. This is 2009, and we have more than 10 laws.
HETROSEXUALS OF THE WORLD UNITE
The founding fathers never said, "In God We Trust". If you know anything about history, Doctor of who-knows-what, you would know that this phrase was agreed to be put on American currency in 1863/4 and not adopted by the American Congress to (unfortunately at the dismay of a large portion of separation of church and state believers), as our "motto".
In fact, the majority of the founding fathers were freemasons, who, if anyone knows the history of freemasonry, religion was more of a personal belief rather than a belief to stuff it down the face of others. They have it all right because you're god, his god, their god, her god are supposed to give you faith to create a better life for you, not what you think is a better life for your neighbor.
As a heterosexual man, with logic, I know true freedom is for everyone that should not be dictated by emotions but by practicality. If we listened to people who say that gays should not be married, then blacks, women, all minorities, and non-protestant religious groups in the USA would still be subject to inhumane treatment. If you want a theocracy in America, then you have NO IDEA what America is all about.
If God created Adam and Eve, wasn't He encouraging incest from the very get-go? Religious folk can complain all they like, but the proof is right there in your holy book – God's opinion on marital matters is antiquated.Get with the times! And anyone who thinks this decision should only be handled by referendum, are you serious? If our democracy worked like that, women couldn't vote and interracial marriage would still be illegal. Referendum = the tyranny of the majority.
im proud to be a citizen of CT because of this!
and there is definitely a generational gap about gay rights... a lrage majority of high schoolers and college students are in favor of them. it was probably the same scenario during the civil rights movement.
Love always wins.
"Gay marriage is also against nature, which indicates that every child needs a father and a mother — even Darwinian evolution teaches that. "
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Um, actually, following copulation, the female preying mantis bites off the male's head – but you've been a great sport and thanks for playing. we have some lovely parting gifts for you. Rice-a-Roni.
for the life of me I dont understand why this is an issue. It's a simple right issue. How does gay people getting married affect other people realistically in any way?? Please note: i didn't say gay marriage because it's just marriage and not something different or special.
I have never heard a legitamate argument against allowing gay to have their full rights. All arguments are religious and relgilious arguements are not based on logic