# Maine Approves Same-Sex Marriage **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [May 5, 2009, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maine-approves-same-sex-marriage/495456 "2009-05-05T21:13:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![WolfpackJeep](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpackjeep/32/2921_2.png) [@WolfpackJeep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WolfpackJeep)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2009, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maine-approves-same-sex-marriage/495456/41 "2009-05-06T23:54:36Z")
Go Maine! šŸ™‚ ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2009, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maine-approves-same-sex-marriage/495456/42 "2009-05-07T01:11:34Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > Note that Connecticut acquired SSM by a court decision, not a legislative vote. Not true anymore- Legislation passed both house and senate and Governor Rell signed it into law. ---
**Author:** ![Simplicio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c37758/32.png) [@Simplicio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simplicio)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2009, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maine-approves-same-sex-marriage/495456/43 "2009-05-07T01:30:57Z")
> [@IvoryTowerDenizen](#): > > I think weā€™ll annex RI if they donā€™t complyā€¦ The governor of RI is a member of NOM (with those ā€œa storm is coming commercialsā€) and so would almost certainly veto any gay marriage legislation. Probably have to wait tell he leaves office. ---
**Author:** ![Ruby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/13edae/32.png) [@Ruby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruby)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2009, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maine-approves-same-sex-marriage/495456/44 "2009-05-07T02:11:02Z")
WOOT! Congrats Maine! I may just have to move! ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2009, 4:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maine-approves-same-sex-marriage/495456/45 "2009-05-07T04:01:54Z")
Go Maine! Setting yet another example for the rest of the states. How long will it take for all this progressive goodness to reach Ohio? My partner and I donā€™t have that many years left. (Well, he does; I donā€™t.) ---
**Author:** ![MsWhatsit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eb8c5e/32.png) [@MsWhatsit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsWhatsit)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2009, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maine-approves-same-sex-marriage/495456/46 "2009-05-07T04:03:31Z")
> [@panache45](#): > > Go Maine! Setting yet another example for the rest of the states. > > How long will it take for all this progressive goodness to reach Ohio? My partner and I donā€™t have that many years left. (Well, he does; I donā€™t.) If we could overturn that god damned amendment and allow gay marriage in this state, it would make my decade, truly. ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2009, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maine-approves-same-sex-marriage/495456/47 "2009-05-07T04:18:45Z")
Congratulations! šŸ™‚ ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2009, 10:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maine-approves-same-sex-marriage/495456/48 "2009-05-07T10:05:05Z")
> [@whiterabbit](#): > > Iā€™ve been trying to be optimistic here, guys! > > Of course I currently live in what I sincerely believe will be the next-to-last state to approve it ā€“ Idaho. I expect Utah will be the last to give in. No, there is a fairly comprehensive listing of the states, and the projected year at [www.fivethirtyeight.com](http://www.fivethirtyeight.com/2009/04/will-iowans-uphold-gay-marriage.html). This is a very well respected site run by statistics geeks; they were very accurate in projecting results for Obama, and way back in mid-December, he projected the Franken-Coleman race in Minnesota would end up with Franken winning by 340 votes (itā€™s actually 313). He designates some specific starting points for states, based on the results of previous votes on gay marriage, and polling data on religious intensity, and then based on the fact that support for gay marriage is growing at almost 2% per year, he projects dates that various states approve gay marriage. Idaho is given as 2011 ā€“ only 2 years away. Utah is 2013. 4 years away. The last two are Alabama (2023 - 14 years away) and Mississippi (2024, 15 years away). Note that Maine and New Hampshire were both projected as 2009 ā€“ now. He seems to have been right on there. ---
**Author:** ![Xan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/ac8455/32.png) [@Xan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xan)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2009, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maine-approves-same-sex-marriage/495456/49 "2009-05-07T14:16:19Z")
> [@t-bonham@scc.net](#): > > No, there is a fairly comprehensive listing of the states, and the projected year at [www.fivethirtyeight.com](http://www.fivethirtyeight.com/2009/04/will-iowans-uphold-gay-marriage.html). This is a very well respected site run by statistics geeks; they were very accurate in projecting results for Obama, and way back in mid-December, he projected the Franken-Coleman race in Minnesota would end up with Franken winning by 340 votes (itā€™s actually 313). > > He designates some specific starting points for states, based on the results of previous votes on gay marriage, and polling data on religious intensity, and then based on the fact that support for gay marriage is growing at almost 2% per year, he projects dates that various states approve gay marriage. > > Idaho is given as 2011 ā€“ only 2 years away. Utah is 2013. 4 years away. The last two are Alabama (2023 - 14 years away) and Mississippi (2024, 15 years away). > > Note that Maine and New Hampshire were both projected as 2009 ā€“ now. He seems to have been right on there. As long as the ā€œPeopleā€™s Vetoā€ doesnā€™t succeed he will be. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2009, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maine-approves-same-sex-marriage/495456/50 "2009-05-07T14:18:23Z")
Letā€™t not forget that Maineā€™s favorite son, Stephen King, has a daughter Naomi who married her partner in Massachusetts. Now she can do it in her home state. And letā€™s not forget the motto ā€œAs goes Maine, so goes the nation.ā€ ---
**Author:** ![norinew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/eb9ed0/32.png) [@norinew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/norinew)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2009, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maine-approves-same-sex-marriage/495456/51 "2009-05-07T14:23:42Z")
A few months ago, when **mudgirl** stayed home sick from school (sheā€™s 9YO), she was watching Ellen with me, and questions she asked led to a discussion of gay marriage. She said she wants to move to California when she grows up so she can marry her best friend, Brianna. I told her I didnā€™t think it would be an issue by the time sheā€™s old enough to get married. Hereā€™s one more state proving me right. I love it when Iā€™m right! šŸ˜› ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2009, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maine-approves-same-sex-marriage/495456/52 "2009-05-07T17:35:57Z")
Congratulations! I keep having to explain the federal system to my relatives, Momā€™s friendsā€¦ in Spain the system sort of works top-to-bottom in many issues which are bottom-to-top in the US, so they keep asking how can a kind of marriage be legal in one state but not in another. Not so different from some EU countries having same-sex marriages and others not, mind you. ---
**Author:** ![whiterabbit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/cab0a1/32.png) [@whiterabbit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/whiterabbit)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2009, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maine-approves-same-sex-marriage/495456/53 "2009-05-07T18:07:18Z")
2011? Idaho? I respect the guy, but I donā€™t believe it, except for the one county Iā€™m in where itā€™d pass with flying colors. But Iā€™m still very happy about Maine. ---
**Author:** ![Kyla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/eada6e/32.png) [@Kyla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyla)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2009, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maine-approves-same-sex-marriage/495456/54 "2009-05-07T18:33:30Z")
> [@whiterabbit](#): > > 2011? Idaho? I respect the guy, but I donā€™t believe it, except for the one county Iā€™m in where itā€™d pass with flying colors. Agreed - I think that guy screwed his regression when he added the percentage of _white evangelicals_ as a factor. Mormons arenā€™t evangelicals, but they dislike gay marriage just as much. Faulty statistics at work here. ETA: Upon review of the comments, a lot of people asked Nate Silver about this, but he didnā€™t respond. Hm. ETA2: It occurs to me that many non-Westerners may not be aware that Idaho is a heavily Mormon state. Not as much as Utah, but they make up a big presence. ---
**Author:** ![Simplicio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c37758/32.png) [@Simplicio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simplicio)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2009, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maine-approves-same-sex-marriage/495456/55 "2009-05-07T18:44:21Z")
> [@whiterabbit](#): > > 2011? Idaho? I respect the guy, but I donā€™t believe it, except for the one county Iā€™m in where itā€™d pass with flying colors. IIRC, the analysis wasnā€™t when a state would legalize gay marriage, it was when a state would vote against a _gay marriage ban_. Those things can be very different, especially in states like Utah where there are a lot of powerful anti-gay marriage institutions that will probably continue to work against gay marriage becoming law even if the majority of the population isnā€™t willing to uphold a straight up ban. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maine-approves-same-sex-marriage/495456.md?page=2)