Hee hee! Via Aussiegall @ Flickr.
They’re falling, and squashing bigotry as they go. Another state has legalized same-sex marriage! That’s three new states in just a few months. Iowa, New Hampshire, and now Maine have joined Connecticut and Massachusetts, which lead the country in not being assweasels, and in September, Vermont’s legalization, already passed, will kick in!
Big ups to Maine, where the Governor Jim John Baldacci (D, natch) who used to be opposed to SSM, signed a bill into law, declaring:
“I have come to believe that this is a question of fairness and of equal protection under the law and that a civil union is not equal to civil marriage.”
It’s like the world is starting to make sense again. Ayup. (Any Mainers out there? Hooray!)
Read all the happy, lovely details here.
I am really heartened that a Governor who used to oppose SSM has changed his tune and put that into action. It means a lot to see that people can see the light on this issue and see that it is one of basic equality.
Go Maine! I’d be cheering if I didn’t have laryngitis, so I’m doing a little skippy dance instead.
Totally agree about Gov. Baldacci’s change of heart. Barack Obama has said he’s opposed to full marriage equality but willing to be persuaded on the issue. Maybe we can set up a lunch between the two of them?
Change usually comes painfully slowly. It’s so great to watch people come around, and see justice state by state by state. I feel lucky to be able to watch it.
@Becky: Normally I try not to speculate on what politicians “really” believe, but I find it hard to believe Obama’s against marriage equality. Which doesn’t give him a pass for not working towards it, but gives me hope on the federal level.
When it rains it pours, it seems. I think the anti-equality people have to see the writing on the wall by now… It makes me wonder, though… Why does it seem like it’s moving so quickly now? Are we more enlightened these days? My first reaction is that the internet has made it easier for marginalized voices to be heard, and now that the internet is nearly as accessible as television, it’s harder and harder for people to ignore the injustice. More and more, the only people you see railing against equality sound like they have their fingers in their ears screaming “lalalalala! think of the children! i can’t hear you! special rights!”
@Mireille: I think the snowball effect is because when people see a whole lot of other people doing something, a kind of herd mentality kicks in. People are much more likely to do something if they see others doing it to no ill effect. The whole anti-gay marriage argument of “oh, it’ll destroy marriage and our society will crumble” becomes much harder to buy into when you see that five states have legalized gay marriage and it’s led to…NOTHING.
That’s what I wondered in the Domino Effect, Mireille. All of a sudden, states are hopping on the equality bandwagon. I really don’t know where it’s coming from but I like it so far and only wish it had started long ago.
Perhaps we’ve reached what (the rather glib) Malcolm Gladwell calls “the tipping point.” I hope so.
@PhDork: Yes, I think that’s exactly it.
I’m a born and bread Mainer and I am so proud to be from Maine today!
I think we have reached a tipping point. It is a remarkable time to be alive to watch this happen!
Now if I can only get a job in Maine I can move back with my partner and get married!!
I am loving the domino effect. I live in Vermont and am proud to be in a state that recognizes all marriages. Go Maine on joining in on the equality.
Good for Maine and all the other states that have legalized SSM. CA supreme court needs to fall in line and throw out Prop 8. I’m really tired of feeling ashamed of being Californian. Would really like to be proud of my state again…
Howdy, watershed! Even if you can’t get back to Maine, you might not have to wait much longer to marry your sweetheart where you are! Fingers crossed.
I wish that we progressives could get together to celebrate successes. I feel like I only see y’all when we go to protests. I think we should throw ourselves a huge sloppy party in DC some day.
JD, if nothing else, you and SMC gotta get up here to NY so we can have ourselves a proper Harpy Hour.
It’s actually John Baldacci. I’m a Mainer and it finally makes me proud to live here. There were rumors floating around that Baldacci would veto the bill and force a referendum vote. It looks the conservative groups in Maine are gearing up to get signatures and force a general vote in the state.
Ah, thanks, Isobel. I will fix post-haste. (Also, yay you!) Fingers crossed that the powers of jerkness are defeated.
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