Monday, October 16, 2006

Gay marriage on ballot in 8 states November 7

The Washington Blade has an informative summary of the rash of ballot measures on same-sex marriage and civil unions up for a vote in various states this November.
ARIZONA
Amendment would limit marriage to unions of one man and one woman and foreclose the possibility of civil unions.

COLORADO
Amendment would limit marriage to unions of one man and one woman. Also, a separate referendum would extend many rights to domestic partners.

IDAHO
Amendment would limit marriage to unions of one man and one woman and foreclose the possibility of civil unions.

SOUTH CAROLINA
Amendment would limit marriage to unions of one man and one woman and foreclose the possibility of civil unions.

SOUTH DAKOTA
Amendment would limit marriage to unions of one man and one woman and foreclose the possibility of civil unions.

TENNESSEE
Amendment would limit marriage to unions of one man and one woman.

VIRGINIA
Amendment would limit marriage to unions of one man and one woman, foreclose the possibility of civil unions and endanger existing legal protections for unmarried couples.

WISCONSIN
Amendment would limit marriage to unions of one man and one woman, foreclose the possibility of civil unions and endanger existing legal protections for unmarried couples.

The only ones where we have a chance of not losing is Wisconsin (Question 1) and Arizona (Proposition 107). The Advocate seems to think that Virgina will be close. Mad Professah doubts this very much. The most interesting battleground is Colorado, where there are two competing measures (Amendment 43 and Referendum I) on the ballot. Amendment 43 is a one sentence constitutional amendment identical to California's Proposition 22 which was passed as an initiative statute 61-39 in 2000. It declares that "only marriage between one man and one woman is valid or recognized in [Colorado]." However, Referendum I asks voter to approve the Legislature's actions of extablishing the "Colorado Domestic Partner Benefits and Responsibility Act" which is practically identical to California's AB 205, a comprehensive domestic partnership act, which was enacted in 2003. Currently, both Colorado ballot measures are ahead in the polls, with the Referendum at 58% and the Amendment at 52%!

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