Phew!

Things were looking scary for a while, but it looks like the people of Maine will no longer have to put up with the ungodly menace of people in committed, monogamous same-sex relationships entering into the covenant of marriage. Won't someone think of the children?

Voters on Tuesday repealed the state’s same sex marriage law after an emotionally charged campaign that drew large numbers to the polls and focused national attention on Maine.

With 87 percent of precincts reporting, the campaign to overturn Maine’s same-sex marriage law won with 53 percent of the vote vs. 47 percent opposed to Question 1, according to unofficial results compiled by the Bangor Daily News.

Gay-marriage opponents claimed victory shortly after 12:30 a.m. Wednesday.

[...]

The Yes on 1 campaign, led by the group Stand for Marriage Maine, built its lead by winning votes in rural Maine as well as in some larger towns such as the Roman Catholic and Franco-American stronghold of Lewiston.

In contrast, the effort to defend Maine’s gay marriage law won strong support in places such as Portland, where 73 percent voted against Question 1, and majority support in Bangor.

This is a setback for gay marriage, but only a setback. Ten years ago, if I had told you 47% of the electorate would vote in favor of same-sex marriage, you would have called me crazy.

The opponents won this battle, but they will not win the war.

Posted by damian at November 4, 2009 08:25 AM