Same-Sex Marriage Legal in Maryland, Maine, Washington, Minnesota

image
Jane SusskindJane Susskind
Published: 07 Nov, 2012
2 min read

same-sex marriage legal in Maryland and Maine

While America voted for president, states across the nation voted on social issues, with voters making same-sex marriage legal in Maryland and Maine. While widely ignored by the presidential candidates, America displayed a broad acceptance for previously rejected social issues in Tuesday's election.

In Maryland, voters passed Question 6, approving the Civil Marriage Protection Act that made it legal for same-sex couples to marry. Prior to this election, proponents of same-sex marriage had been defeated 32 times, highlighting the state's unwillingness to accept the act.

Tonight's victory comes after President Obama's open endorsement of same-sex marriage, marking a milestone in the gay rights movement. Partly due to Obama's endorsement, much of the campaign centered around African American voters in the state:

The campaign over Question 6 in Maryland focused heavily on African American voters, who make up a larger share of the electorate than in any other state outside the Deep South and whom polls showed as more reluctant to accept gay nuptials than white voters.

Exit polls reveal that backers of same-sex marriage in Maryland also supported and voted for President Obama, helping him secure re-election. The win in Maryland could have serious implications nationwide.

“It takes away the talking points that anti-marriage activists use day in and day out: that this issue can’t win at the ballot box,” said Chad Griffin, president of the Human Rights Coalition. 

Same-sex marriage was also on the ballot in Maine. Voters decided whether or not Maine should issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples. As reported by the AP,

Gay marriage is legal in six states and Washington, D.C., but those laws were either enacted by lawmakers or through court rulings. In popular votes, more than 30 states had previously held elections on same-sex marriage, with all losing.

The Supreme Court will decide later this month whether or not to hear cases regarding same-sex marriage.

same-sex marriage legal in Maryland and Maine

 

IVP Donate

You Might Also Like

Will the Texas Republican Party be Successful Where the Hawaiian Democratic Party Failed?
Will the Texas Republican Party be Successful Where the Hawaiian Democratic Party Failed?
The Republican Party of Texas (RPT) is suing Secretary of State Jane Nelson in an effort to close the state’s primary elections to party members only – a move that the Democratic Party of Hawaii (DPH) tried back in 2013 in its state and failed. ...
05 Sep, 2025
-
3 min read
Supreme Court building.
Retired Attorney Takes Voting Rights Case All the Way to the Supreme Court -- By Himself
The next big voting rights case the Supreme Court of the United States could consider wasn’t filed by the ACLU, the League of Women Voters, Common Cause, or another household name when it comes to voter rights. ...
09 Sep, 2025
-
5 min read
congress flag
Poll: 82% of Americans Want Redistricting Done by Independent Commission, Not Politicians
There may be no greater indication that voters are not being listened to in the escalating redistricting war between the Republican and Democratic Parties than a new poll from NBC News that shows 8-in-10 Americans want the parties to stop....
10 Sep, 2025
-
3 min read