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Maine To Gather Signatures To Allow Pro-Same-Sex Marriage Vote

17 August 2011
by Bridgette P. LaVictoire

Thanks to ThinkProgress for this little tidbit. “Maine’s Secretary of State has approved the language for a ballot initiative to allow same-sex marriage in the state.” This allows campaign volunteers and supporters to begin collecting the 80,000 signatures that they need to put “An Act to Allow Marriage Licences for Same-Sex Couples and Protect Religious Freedom” on the November 2012 ballot.

If they manage to do so, Maine will become the first state to vote to allow rather than ban same-sex marriage. Maine overturned a law allowing for same-sex marriages back in 2009. This means that, in 2012, there will be three hot spots in terms of the battle over marriage equality- Colorado, where they are voting to take down the marriage bigotry amendment; Maine; and Minnesota, where they want to put in an amendment banning same-sex marriage. The last one is heavily opposed by businesses in that state.

Meanwhile, the National Organization for Marriage will be doing their best to waste money trying to overturn marriage in New York.