It looks like the closely watched referendum in Maine is NOT going to allow same sex marriage. The law in question was passed by the Legislature in May but never took effect because of a petition drive by conservatives.
With more than 84 percent of precincts reporting Tuesday, the side seeking to repeal the law had 53 percent of the vote. Their campaign organizer, Frank Schubert, claimed victory and declared that Maine voters had helped preserve the institution of marriage.
Gay-marriage supporters refused to concede, holding out hope that that the tide might turn as the final returns came in. They had been hoping Maine would become the first state to approve same-sex marriage at the ballot box.
In Houston’s mayoral race, the openly gay city controller and a former city attorney backed by business interests were the top vote getters in Tuesday’s mayoral race in Houston.
Annise Parker, who first entered politics as a gay activist at Rice University, and Gene Locke, a veteran lawyer, will face each other in a runoff, the Houston Chronicle reported.
They topped City Council President Peter Brown and Roy Morales, the only Republican in the field.
With all districts reporting, Parker had 30 percent of the vote to 26 percent for Locke, 22 percent for Brown and 20 percent for Morales.
Parker ran for mayor after six years as an at-large councilwoman and six years as controller, giving her the highest name recognition among the candidates. She had a smaller war chest than Brown or Locke but more individual contributions.
Voters in Kalamazoo, Michigan on Tuesday decided to keep a controversial gay protections law approved by city leaders in June, ABC affiliate WZZM reported.
With 89% of precincts reporting at 10PM, the effort to repeal the law trailed 61% to 38%.
City leaders approved the measure that makes it illegal to discriminate based on sexual orientation and gender identity (transgender protections) in the areas of employment, housing and public accommodations twice before opponents forced them to put the measure up for a vote.
The group Kalamazoo Citizens Voting No to Special Rights, backed by the anti-gay Christian-group American Family Association (AFA), vociferously opposed the legislation, calling it an attempt to discriminate against religious groups, despite the law’s exemption for churches.
Officials put the measure up for a vote after the group submitted 2,088 signatures against the ordinance – 60% more than the 1,273 valid voter signatures needed to qualify for the ballot box.
Jon Hoadley stepped down as executive director of pro-gay group Stonewall Democrats to head One Kalamazoo in August. The newly formed group headed the effort to retain the law.
In taking the position, Hoadley explained why national leaders were getting involved in a local gay rights issue.
“The local community asked me to participate in helping them pass a local ordinance that will help make LGBT lives better,” Hoadley told Bilerico’s Bil Browning. “The AFA is going to send in big guns and spend a lot of money sending out misinformation about our community and our lives. These people aren’t local either.”
Hoadley said social conservative groups are using small towns like Kalamazoo to “find new ways to scare voters at a local level and move those lessons forward nationally.” Voters in the college town of Gainesville, Florida rejected an effort to repeal a similar city ordinance in March.
