# Five Down, Forty-Five To Go **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [May 6, 2009, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/five-down-forty-five-to-go/495563 "2009-05-06T17:53:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Meltdown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Meltdown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meltdown)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2009, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/five-down-forty-five-to-go/495563/1 "2009-05-06T17:53:10Z")
[Maine Approves Gay Marriage](http://www.boston.com/news/local/maine/articles/2009/05/06/maine_lawmakers_ok_gay_marriage_governor_on_fence/) Yay Maine! I don’t really have anything to debate here, just wanted to spread the word. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2009, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/five-down-forty-five-to-go/495563/2 "2009-05-06T18:12:39Z")
Six down, if you count DC. How about this for a debate, then - will Congress use its power to override the District Council’s vote to recognize SSM’s performed elsewhere, or avoid the subject altogether (which is what I expect)? At what point will repeal of the Defense of Marriage Act pretty much be forced upon them? ---
**Author:** ![begbert2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/begbert2/32/3357_2.png) [@begbert2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/begbert2)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2009, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/five-down-forty-five-to-go/495563/3 "2009-05-06T18:13:53Z")
I agree wholeheartedly. The sooner it’s fifty (fifty-one?) down, zero to go, the better. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim_r.mortiss/32/142_2.png) [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_R.Mortiss)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2009, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/five-down-forty-five-to-go/495563/4 "2009-05-06T18:46:09Z")
I don’t understand this whole debate. Anybody can get married in the eyes of God. What should you care if the government recognizes it? It’s all about love, isn’t it? ---
**Author:** ![begbert2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/begbert2/32/3357_2.png) [@begbert2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/begbert2)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2009, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/five-down-forty-five-to-go/495563/5 "2009-05-06T18:48:54Z")
> [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](#): > > I don’t understand this whole debate. Anybody can get married in the eyes of God. What should you care if the government recognizes it? It’s all about love, isn’t it? There are lots of people who can’t get married in the eyes of God, depending on the flavor of God you’re talking about. And people care about whether the government recognizes their marriage because it’s also about whether your mother in law can decide to pull the plug on your ‘spouse’ against your will, among numerous other things. ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2009, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/five-down-forty-five-to-go/495563/6 "2009-05-06T18:50:53Z")
> [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](#): > > I don’t understand this whole debate. Anybody can get married in the eyes of God. What should you care if the government recognizes it? It’s all about love, isn’t it? Well, yeah. That and inheritance, medical power of attorney, hospital visitation, inusrance coverages, joint ownerships and tenancies… …and love, as you say. ---
**Author:** ![Jack\_Batty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jack_batty/32/3201_2.png) [@Jack\_Batty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Batty)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2009, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/five-down-forty-five-to-go/495563/7 "2009-05-06T18:51:49Z")
> [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](#): > > I don’t understand this whole debate. Anybody can get married in the eyes of God. What should you care if the government recognizes it? It’s all about love, isn’t it? Anybody can get married in the eyes of Zuul too, but he doesn’t provide the same marriage benefits as the government does. ---
**Author:** ![hansel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/6bbea6/32.png) [@hansel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hansel)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2009, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/five-down-forty-five-to-go/495563/8 "2009-05-06T18:53:21Z")
> [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](#): > > I don’t understand this whole debate. Anybody can get married in the eyes of God. What should you care if the government recognizes it? It’s all about love, isn’t it? No, it’s about a vast array of civil rights and responsibilities. No one can tell two people not to love each other, but currently there’s a lot of states where a gay man can be made to leave the deathbed of his longtime partner because he’s “not family”. ---
**Author:** ![Lobohan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobohan/32/79_2.png) [@Lobohan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobohan)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2009, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/five-down-forty-five-to-go/495563/9 "2009-05-06T19:05:19Z")
As a liberal Californian I find it embarrassing that we aren’t toeing the line here. ---
**Author:** ![baronsabato](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ed655f/32.png) [@baronsabato](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/baronsabato)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2009, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/five-down-forty-five-to-go/495563/10 "2009-05-06T19:11:15Z")
So by the looks of it, it sounds like there will be [an attempt by anti-marriage advocates to get a public referendum](http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/07/us/07marriage.html?ref=us) on the ballot, so that the issue will be up to popular vote. Anyone know more about Maine and how successful this kind of thing might be? They only need 55,000 signatures, so it sounds like it’ll be likely put on hold until next November or even June. ---
**Author:** ![Onomatopoeia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/onomatopoeia/32/4145_2.png) [@Onomatopoeia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Onomatopoeia)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2009, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/five-down-forty-five-to-go/495563/11 "2009-05-06T19:20:26Z")
> [@Meltdown](#): > > [Maine Approves Gay Marriage](http://www.boston.com/news/local/maine/articles/2009/05/06/maine_lawmakers_ok_gay_marriage_governor_on_fence/) > > Yay Maine! > > I don’t really have anything to debate here, just wanted to spread the word. Good deal! It’s about bloody time this ball got rolling. New Hampshire’s next. I command it! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Indistinguishable](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/90ced4/32.png) [@Indistinguishable](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Indistinguishable)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2009, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/five-down-forty-five-to-go/495563/12 "2009-05-06T19:31:18Z")
> [@Lobohan](#): > > As a liberal Californian I find it embarrassing that we aren’t toeing the line here. Seems to me we _are_ toeing the line, and that’s the problem… I’d rather be on the vanguard. ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2009, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/five-down-forty-five-to-go/495563/13 "2009-05-06T19:32:57Z")
> [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](#): > > I don’t understand this whole debate. Anybody can get married in the eyes of God. What should you care if the government recognizes it? It’s all about love, isn’t it? As a liberal, my god is Big Government. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2009, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/five-down-forty-five-to-go/495563/14 "2009-05-06T19:33:27Z")
> [@NYTimes.com](#): > > Later, in a telephone interview, [Maine Governor John Baldacci] said, “It’s not the way I was raised and it’s not the way that I am.” He added: “But at the same time I have a responsibility to uphold the Constitution. That’s my job, and you can’t allow discrimination to stand when it’s raised to your level.” He’ll never be Miss USA with _that_ attitude. ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2009, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/five-down-forty-five-to-go/495563/15 "2009-05-06T19:36:07Z")
> [@baronsabato](#): > > So by the looks of it, it sounds like there will be [an attempt by anti-marriage advocates to get a public referendum](http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/07/us/07marriage.html?ref=us) on the ballot, so that the issue will be up to popular vote. > > Anyone know more about Maine and how successful this kind of thing might be? They only need 55,000 signatures, so it sounds like it’ll be likely put on hold until next November or even June. There are anti-marriage advocates? ---
**Author:** ![Lobohan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobohan/32/79_2.png) [@Lobohan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobohan)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2009, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/five-down-forty-five-to-go/495563/16 "2009-05-06T19:37:18Z")
> [@Indistinguishable](#): > > Seems to me we _are_ toeing the line, and that’s the problem… I’d rather be on the vanguard. No, the new line. Not the old line. Shit… what line am I in? ---
**Author:** ![baronsabato](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ed655f/32.png) [@baronsabato](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/baronsabato)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2009, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/five-down-forty-five-to-go/495563/17 "2009-05-06T19:47:26Z")
> [@gonzomax](#): > > There are anti-marriage advocates? Excuse me. “Anti-same-sex-marriage advocates”. ---
**Author:** ![emmaliminal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7bcc69/32.png) [@emmaliminal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/emmaliminal)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2009, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/five-down-forty-five-to-go/495563/18 "2009-05-06T19:52:02Z")
> [@baronsabato](#): > > Excuse me. “Anti-same-sex-marriage advocates”. You could say “opposite-only-marriage-advocates” ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2009, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/five-down-forty-five-to-go/495563/19 "2009-05-06T19:52:11Z")
> [@Jack\_Batty](#): > > Anybody can get married in the eyes of Zuul too, but he doesn’t provide the same marriage benefits as the government does. True, but if you’re looking for a place on Central Park West with an inter-dimensional refrigerator, Zuul is the one to see. ---
**Author:** ![Jack\_Batty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jack_batty/32/3201_2.png) [@Jack\_Batty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Batty)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2009, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/five-down-forty-five-to-go/495563/20 "2009-05-06T20:02:31Z")
> [@baronsabato](#): > > So by the looks of it, it sounds like there will be [an attempt by anti-marriage advocates to get a public referendum](http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/07/us/07marriage.html?ref=us) on the ballot, so that the issue will be up to popular vote. > > Anyone know more about Maine and how successful this kind of thing might be? They only need 55,000 signatures, so it sounds like it’ll be likely put on hold until next November or even June. I’m a Mainer. Michael Heath lives and breaths this stuff. There was a bill that was passed not too long ago regarding whether or not sexual orientation should be included in language prohibiting discrimination based upon religion, sex, color, etc. He flipped a bitch and collected near the requisite number of signatures. There were complaints here and there about which petitions were legitimate and whatnot. Long story short, it did end up going to referendum but it got shot down by a big margin. _– I may be misremembering things; that may have been a City of Portland thing and not a State of Maine thing –_ He may or may not succeed again in getting the requisite signatures and if it goes to referendum, there will be big tufts of fur flying all over the place between the righteous and the heathens. Unfortunately, I’m not sure if I can gage whether or not the general public would keep the law intact. It’s a little more “heavy” than just rights against discrimination in the work place. There may be enough of an opposition to make it close, and maybe even overturn it. The good news is, the gay rights groups here seemed to be more widely backed than the Maine Family Policy Council. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/five-down-forty-five-to-go/495563.md?page=2)