Subscribe to Breaking News
Loading ...Maine’s marriage debate turns deeply religious
04.23.2009 11:07am EDT
(Augusta, Maine) A legislative hearing to extend gay marriage to Maine took on the atmosphere of a religious revival Wednesday as ministers made impassioned speeches for and against the bill before thousands of cheering spectators packed into a civic arena.
Gay couples also took turns pleading for recognition of their partnerships, while opponents warned that state sanctioning of same-sex marriages would fracture a basic building block of society.The Judiciary Committee hearing drew so much interest that traffic became snarled early in the day. Gay marriage supporters hoping to build on momentum in the region arrived wearing red, and they gave a standing ovation to the bill’s sponsor, Sen. Dennis Damon, as he opened the hearing. Police said it drew 3,500 to 4,000 people.
“This bill is fair. This bill’s time has come,” Damon, D-Trenton, said to a roar of approval. “It recognizes the worth and dignity of every man and every woman among us.”
Damon’s proposal – backed by more than 60 legislative co-sponsors – would repeal a state law that limits marriage to a man and a woman and replace it with one that authorizes marriage between any two people.
Also up for a discussion was a separate bill to allow civil unions – which offer many of the same rights as marriage – sponsored by Rep. Les Fossel, R-Alna.
Gay rights activists want to get laws allowing same-sex marriage passed in all of New England by 2012, and they’re already halfway there. Vermont’s Legislature overrode a gubernatorial veto two weeks ago to enact a same-sex marriage law. Connecticut and Massachusetts also allow gay marriage.
New Hampshire’s Senate is expected to take up a House-approved bill later this month. In Rhode Island, a bill is awaiting a vote but is not expected to pass.
Outside of New England, only Iowa allows gay marriage, though a handful of states allow similar arrangements.
The marriage effort’s prospects in Maine are uncertain. The Legislature could approve it or reject it, or the state’s voters could have the final say. Democratic Gov. John Baldacci, who previously opposed the idea, now says he is keeping an open mind.
The Legislature has the option of sending the issue to voters in a referendum. Or, if the measure becomes law, opponents could initiate a “people’s veto” effort.
The earliest a Judiciary Committee vote is expected would be April 28. The bill then goes to the Senate, then the House before it could be sent to the governor’s desk.
The gay-marriage bill led to television ads encouraging people to attend the committee’s public hearing on Wednesday. About 800 people arrived an hour before the hearing began, said Dana Colwill, building director.
Among those testifying was Roman Catholic Bishop Richard Malone, who said the church has long supported domestic partner laws. But he said the church opposes same-sex marriage, which he characterized as one of several challenges facing traditional marriage.
“We speak in opposition to same-sex marriage because we are deeply concerned about the institution of marriage itself – in this state, and in this nation,” he said.
Malone was followed by pastors who called the bill a threat to families and contrary to traditional religious teachings.
“Our forefathers would be ashamed that we are gathered here today to discuss this horrendous issue,” the Rev. David Adams, of First Baptist Church of West Gardiner, said to thundering applause. “Do not make the decision of not voting on it and passing it back to the Maine people as a lame way of getting out of your responsibilities.”
But leaders of other churches favored the bill, including 120 clergy members active in the Religious Coalition for Marriage Equality.
“Jesus led a life of doing justice. We are called to do the same,” said the Rev. Deborah Davis Johnson of Immanuel Baptist Church of Portland.
Even Maine Attorney General Janet Mills used religious references in her statement in favor of gay marriage, saying, “The (law) will not will not affect my relationship with my God.” Mills added that it would not require any church to perform a marriage ceremony against its beliefs.
Others drew comparisons with the civil rights struggles of blacks.
“More than 40 years ago, even people here in Maine told us it was wrong to get married,” said Robert Talbot, a black man from Bangor who is married to a white woman.
“People say the same thing now about gay and lesbian couples,” he said. “It was wrong 40 years ago, and it’s wrong now.”
But others worried about the consequences of passing the law.
“Same-sex marriage is an impossible situation for children, and I think our culture and our state will suffer as a result of adoption of this legislation,” Howard Allen of Limington told the Judiciary Committee.
Dear Governor & Legislators of Maine. Please stop the hate and bigotry that organized religions has used, to hurt Gay Americans, we are family people too.
And we have the same rigths as everyone else, WHY would You want to discriminate against Your Mothers, Fathers, Brothers and Sisters? Show some LOVE and COMPASSION.
Thanks, it was a busy day yesterday, what with Earth Day, and Angie’s murderer being found GUILTY. ENDA being debated. Washington signing a Transgender Law, etc. The theofascists are losing. As long as gay-affirming churches and gay families stand up loud and strong.
Keep up the good work. Show up their bigotry for what it is.
ALL EQUAL RIGHTS FOR ALL. e.g. not just marriage, we need a fully inclusive ENDA, and DADT repealed and Hate Crimes Law… ALL of IT.
I love that gay marriage legislation increasingly offers explicit exemption for religious groups. Doing so reduces the oppositions list of false arguements to oppose the measure. Keep fighting the fight. Argure the separation of church and state or suggest that ‘traditional” marriage surrender it’s associated civil rights.
THE BIG “J” HAD PLENTY TO SAY ABOUT DIVORCE, GREED AND SLOTH (HELLO! REPBULICANS) AND NOTHING ABOUT SAME SEX ISSUES. THE RELIGIOUS PANIC IS BOGUS.
WE ARE NOT INTRESTED IN OUR MARRIAGES BEING VALIDATED BY ANY CHURCH. WE INSIST ON EQUALITY BEFORE THE LAW!
I am a Christian! I know by faith that God is! I know that Jesus in my “personal” savior! oh, and I happen to be gay… I really don’t understand why the ultra conservative community is so imperial about this issue… I spent 15 years in conversion therapy, it doesn’t work! I married a woman and have 6 beautiful children (all grown now)… I do not live in shame for my life now… but have felt shame for what I was once “taught” to believe… I know that God loves me ‘just as i am’ and in Christ, I am a new creation. The old things have passed and now I am spotless in the sight of God for the sacrifice made by Jesus… When? when shall we be seen as equal? we are all equal in the sight of God…
Please keep YOUR God outta MY governmnent. He’s not my God and that shouild have no bearing at all on my status as an American citizen.
Zero
Zip
NADA
“Roman Catholic Bishop Richard Malone, … said the church has long supported domestic partner laws.”
What a lying sac of crap! Such blatant B.S. As a Catholic, shouldn’t he be aware that he’s not supposed o bear false witness?
When Catholic priests stop molesting children I will consider what that church has to say. When str8 folks live a year in a gay person’s shoes I will listen to their opinion. When hate-filled bigots live a year in a same-gender family atmosphere of universal rights and dignities and listen to and befriend gay folks I will listen to their opinion. But until this all comes to fruition they have ZERO say in MY life or the lives of other human beings that find love and make families amongst their own sex.
Maine’s motto” “The Way Life Should Be” – OK, let’s prove it and grant equal rights and allow same-sex marriage. Why do the people fear this? We just want to live happy lives!
David – thank you for your witness to your faith in our Saviour.
I too am a committed Christian and Gay. I was an evangelical minister for 15 years. I was married to a woman for 17 years, I have 2 grown children. I prayed for over 40 years to be changed but God, for His reason, has chosen for me to remain Gay.
MY conclusion is that He loves me and accepts me this way, the way He created me. The Scripture says… “If God be for us, who can be against us!”
If you want to know the true trends about marriage equality, I suggest you read the column by Frank Rich in the NYT last Sunday. It is the most precise analysis of the current “backlash” and the direction of the country on this issue. It even made me hope, as a gay man married in California, that our Supreme Court will follow the courage of the Iowa Supreme Court and overturn Proposition 8.
george. Well said! There is a specific section of roman catholic cannon law (similar to the US code, the nuts and bolts or rules and procedures etc) that allows, exonerates, forgives and one could say, encourages lying to protect Holy Mother the Church. A blanket get out of jail free card! But then what can you expect from an unindicted co conspiritor in a worldwide criminal racketeering enterprise, going back hundreds of years, that fosters, protects and facilitates the sexual abuse of prepubescent boys? That Corporation(Country?) has as much moral credibility as Bernie Madeoff!Granted a broken clock gets the time right twice in 24 hours, but that doesn’t mean that it is reliable or trustworthy!BTW I’m speaking of the corporation here(the old theocrats in red dresses) not the stockholders. They have to decide if the Corporation is worth trying to fix or dump their stock and find their god on their own or in another Corporation.
I honestly believe this bill should be passed. I don’t see how religion has anything to do with it. In my eyes, love sees no gender. There’s no reason why ANYBODY should hate and discriminate when all we want is love. Just like you do. Whether you’re heterosexual or homosexual or any other type of sexual. If you love someone that’s it there’s no changing that. I don’t see why anyone would try and stop it. Love is the most beautiful thing and the only piece of heaven we get on earth. So, I ask you governor and legislators of Maine, why would you take away our heaven because of your religion? If God didn’t want us to be the way we are he wouldn’t have made us that way.
Religious conservatives are correct when they say religious rights and freedom of religion must be protected. This is precisely why legal recognition of marriage equality for same-sex couples MUST become the law. Many religious groups, including Christian churches support either marrying same-sex couples or blessing same-sex marriages that have already taken place.
If the religious right succeeds at denying marriage equality to same-sex couples, then they will also have succeeded at denying freedom of religion to churches who disagree with their narrow interpretations of the Bible. The religious right does not have a right to decide what is true Christian belief.
LGBT activists must press the point that we do not believe in restricting religious freedom. We want to protect and enhance religious freedom throughout America and around the world. Supporting the right of same-sex couples to marry, while protecting the right of churches and religious groups to marry or not marry same-sex couples in accord with their teachings is one way we will enhance religious freedom.
As for the religious right, I have some advice: Stop defying Exodus 20:16, which reads, “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbour.” This is one of the ten commandments and does not permit an exception for lying against your LGBT neighbours, nor does it permit you to lie by saying that permitting same-sex couples the right to marry will undermine or destroy freedom of religion.
The comments by the religious right only raises fear and hate against the LGBT community, while driving large numbers of people away from God. Shame on them!
There were many clergy on the side of gay marriage rights right there with the marriage equality protesters time and time again at every marriage equality rally outside of the Masschusetts statehouse in Boston. I attended many of those rallies myself in Boston and saw them all around me.
They were also standing on the side of marriage equality in Maine and speaking out for marriage equality as it says here.
Yes, there are many theofascists, but on the other hand, there are also many truly good and decent people of faith speaking again and again for equality for all in this land.
I really don’t understand this. Why is the religious front making a big deal about marriage equality? Marriage has been around long before the church was even created, they simply adopted it. So why should they have any say in what marriage actually is? Marriage is a union between two people that is recognized by the government. I truly don’t see where the church comes into play here unless the government is going to start admitting that they ignored the whole ’seperation of chruch and state’ thing.
And besides we’re not asking for the church to preform any same-sex marriages. They can keep their homophobic views for all I care and keep promoting hatred. I have never wanted to be married in a church, even before I realized my sexuality. We’re simply asking for marriage recognized by the STATE, right?
I think the religious leaders of the world need to go crawl back under the rock they came out of and stay their for the rest of their lives. The less society is corrupted by religion the better.