Maine anti-gay campaign echoes California

A September 16 Research 2000 poll reports 48% of Maine voters support taking away marriage rights from same-sex couples, 46% oppose, and 6% remain undecided. This close race merits some media analysis.

One nefarious aspect of the Yes on Proposition 1 effort is its similarity to the Yes on 8 effort in California. Here is a radio ad in support of Proposition 1:

“The chair recognizes the representative from Brunswick.”

(Narrator) Special interest groups got the legislature to approve homosexual marriage and tried to prevent Mainers from voting on it.

(Representative Charlie Priest) “We ought not to send it out to referendum.”

(Narrator) But Question 1 gives us our vote.

(Scott Fitzgibbon, professor of law from Boston College Law School) “Unless Question 1 passes there will be real consequences for Mainers. It will no longer be live and let live. Homosexual marriage will be the law whether Mainers like it or not.”

“Dear Governor Baldacci, we write to provide you with an analysis of the effects…”

(Narrator) Distinguished legal scholars wrote the Governor warning of the flood of lawsuits against individuals, small businesses and religious groups. Church organizations could lose their tax exemption. And in Massachusetts, homosexual marriage is taught in public schools. Federal courts have ruled that parents have no right to notice, or to pull their children out of this instruction. Vote Yes on Question 1 to preserve traditional marriage between one man and one woman. 

Compare that to this TV ad in support of Proposition 8:

(Gavin Newsom) “This door’s wide open now. It’s gonna happen whether you like it or not.“

(Narrator) Four judges ignored 4 million voters and imposed same-sex marriage on California. It’s no longer about tolerance. Acceptance of gay marriage is mandatory.

(Richard Peterson, professor at Pepperdine School of Law) That changes a lot of things. People sued over personal beliefs, churches can lose their tax-exemption, gay marriage taught in public schools.

(Narrator) We don’t have to accept this.

(Gavin Newsom) “Whether you like it or not!”

(Narrator) Yes on 8.

The Yes on 1 campaign, Stand For Marriage Maine, is smart. They are co-opting Mayor Gavin Newsom’s unfortunate “whether you like it or not” comment, and insinuating that just as “4 million (CA) voters” were ignored, Maine’s state legislature attempted to bypass voters. They reiterate the same false arguments about teaching marriage in schools, tax exemption, and even use a similar unknown white law professor from a private university to legitimize the falsehoods.

In such a close race, with 6% undecided, the anti-gay campaign is smart. Why reinvent the wheel? Frightening voters was extraordinarily effective in California. Despite the dearth of apocalyptic gay uprisings between California’s first statewide May 2008 same-sex marriages and the November election, we were told that churches and individuals would surely be sued, and small children would learn about gay sex in school, in the future.

UniteTheFight.org has a good round-up of the television ads for Propositions 8 (CA) and 1 (ME) here.

Related:
Marriage is Gay
Maine Legalizes Same Sex Marriage!