This November, Maine will have a referendum on several issues. The largest scale decision is on the future of gay marriage. A ‘yes’ on Question 1 will preserve traditional marriage – one man, one woman. A ‘no’ will uphold what the state legislature has already decided, and marriage between adults of the same sex will become legal.
Many viewpoints have been heard. Some people oppose gay marriage for religious reasons and some support it because of religious reasons. Some simply support it for reasons of freedom. My opinions are quite different from most that we’ve heard.
Though not a party member, I usually will support Republican candidates and policies. But I am frustrated with the GOP on social issues. Many Republicans of other generations had a more libertarian viewpoint. Barry Goldwater, a Republican senator from Arizona from 1969 to 1987, was nicknamed ‘Mr. Conservative.’
However, Goldwater took the position that abortion was a matter of personal choice. He took a position against the ‘don’t-ask, don’t-tell’ policy in the ’90s, saying ‘You don’t have to be straight to be in the military, you just have to shoot straight.’
The Republican Party has long been one of personal freedom, but I believe the infusion of hard-line religion into the party has changed it for the worse. People like Pat Robertson and the late Jerry Falwell have been vehement opponents of any reasonable cultural standards. These people and their cronies have pushed Republicans further to the right with their loony points of view. The party has done nothing to criticize these people because they have large followings.
Gay marriage has become the latest crusade for conservative religious groups. Many cite community standards as the reason for their objections. They say marriage has been between a man and woman for eternity and to change that would lead to the moral decay of society. I have heard this, and I disagree.
Community standards are not set by history. They are set by the community. About 5 percent of Maine’s adopted children have two gay parents. Is it a hard lesson for parents to educate their kids that one of their friends has two mothers or fathers in those rare cases?
Economically, I also believe this bill would help Maine. A study conducted by University of California, Los Angeles in June 2008 said that same-sex weddings and the tourism associated with those weddings could generate $60 million in additional spending in Maine over three years, creating 1,000 new jobs.
Half of the state’s gay couples would likely marry in the first three years of the bill, driving the number of marriage license filings up. That would mean more marriage licensing fees would come in. Maine needs more money and more jobs. This would not hurt our state at all.
I don’t agree with all the proponents of gay marriage on some issues. I think a vote by the majority on the rights of a minority is perfectly legitimate and is the manifestation of democracy in its purest form. I believe the legislature of Maine should not have tried to rush this through without input. The vote was not representative of the public.
I will, unlike many people, be surprised if gay marriage is upheld in November. There are many out there on both sides of the political aisle who disapprove. California saw this with Proposition 8, and they are usually a very liberal state. A people’s veto on this law, in my opinion, would be too bad. I believe in the freedoms granted by gay marriage, even though it makes no difference to me personally. I’m a straight conservative. The new law won’t affect me at all. I’ve simply heard much better reasons for gay marriage than against it. I hope the Maine voters make the choice to uphold the law for reasons of liberty and economics. I just don’t know if we’ve gotten to that point yet.
