No state has ever done it. Twenty states have had anti-gay amendments on the ballot, and twenty states have passed them. Wisconsin will face such an amendment this fall.
Over the past few months I've written a bit about developments in Wisconsin's amendment fight, and thought it was time to take a step back from the day to day and take a look at the big question: is a no vote even possible here?
I think it is. And I'll tell you why.
But first, why does it matter? Why should anyone care about Wisconsin's ban?
Beating an amendment like this is obviously a milestone, but it's especially notable in a Midwestern swing state like Wisconsin. It sends the message to wingnut political operatives that anti-gay amendments are not their surefire ticket to victory - and that they better think twice before using anti-civil liberty referenda nationwide, whether it's whether it's anti-choice measures, efforts to revive the death penalty, or efforts to roll back affirmative action.
So back to my first question: What makes a no vote possible in Wisconsin?
Well, it seems to me this state is unique in just about every way that is important to defeating a constitutional amendment like this....
Time: Fair Wisconsin, the campaign to defeat the ban, has been organizing against this ban for over two years now - ever since it was going through the legislature in 2004. They started the education process early and have a strong foundation to build off of.
Field Efforts: Currently, Fair Wisconsin has over 7,000 volunteers, 28 local volunteer committees, 10 field offices, and almost 50 paid staff members fighting the ban every single day.
Money: If Fair Wisconsin continues to get the support it needs in the coming months, it will be the first ever fully-funded effort to defeat a two-sentence amendment. In the first filing report, the campaign reporter over $1.3 million raised in a four month period - including over 5,000 individual donors, 90% of which are in state. It's money like this that's allowing the campaign to do what it needs to educate voters on why they should vote no - to air TV ads, to hire enough field organizers, to open offices across the state.
Independents: Wisconsin is a Midwestern swing state where elections are decided by a large segment of independent voters. In 2004, over 300,000 people voted for George W. Bush AND Russ Feingold. With a long progressive tradition and a strong libertarian streak, this state isn't just going down party lines - especially on this issue.
Churches: Yes, even churches. And I'm not talking about a couple lefty churches in Madison. I'm talking about mainline Christian and Jewish institutions that represent over 500,000 congregants taking public stands against the ban. No other state has run a faith organizing program against an anti-gay amendment, but Fair Wisconsin is working with churches across the state to defeat this ban.
Supporters: When was the last time you saw a rough and tough labor guy on his feet cheering about the rights of gay people? I saw it a few weeks ago. The next week I saw the head of the Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce advocating for the same cause. Supporters of this ban thought this would divide us, but it looks like it's bringing people together - Lutheran ministers, auto workers, Libertarians, legal experts and on and on. Just a few more supporters:
- Wisconsin Medical Society
- Coalition of Wisconsin Aging Groups
- Wisconsin AFSCME PEOPLE Conference
- Wisconsin Coalition Against Domestic Violence
Like I said, these are only a few. Take a look - the list is long.
Wisconsin's got more than just a glimmer of hope. The campaign against the ban has a real chance to make this the first state in the nation to defeat an anti-gay amendment, to lead the progressive movement in the Wisconsin, to trip up the GOP's sure-fire wedge issue. And, most importantly, to make right wing think twice before they try to use the lives of gay people and their families in a cynical political ploy.
But I guess this could just be my opinion. I'm really interested in where the DailyKos community stands on this.