In Washington, we just passed referendum 71 by a comfortable margin.
Prop 8 was lost by a 47%/52% margin.
Maine's Proposition 1 was lost by a 47%/53% margin as well.
Kalamazoo's Ordinance 1856? Succeeded with a 65%/35% victory. Do these numbers seem coincidental, in either wins or losses? I think NOT!
What is the difference? My theory is simple: It's not the McChristian wingnut contingent, or the Mormons, or ridiculous Miss America winger poster children. It is so much more elementary: The Yes-Means-No vote.
How many people voted "for" Maine marriage equality by voting yes on 1 yesterday, and same with Prop 8? Sure, a lot of people aren't plugged in and maybe some aren't too bright, but I can't believe these pretty moderate-to-liberal states screwed up this bad.
What is the point of the Yes-Means-No question? It is intentionally designed to elicit the opposite response than a person means to. It isn't enough that we are putting civil liberties up to a majority-mob-rules vote; now, we are allowing the questions to be skewed in favor of our ultimate failure.
There's plenty reason to be pissed off about Maine 1 today, and plenty of work to do to get full equality. But if we can't stop the public voting on whether people think it's ok for others to have equal rights under the law, the least we can do is align the answer so that "yes" means "YES, equality for all."
Update #1:
The Maine ballot had this:
Question 1: People's Veto
An Act To End Discrimination in Civil Marriage and Affirm Religious Freedom
"Do you want to reject the new law that lets same-sex couples marry and allows individuals and religious groups to refuse to perform these marriages?"
So, not only did it turn an affirmative into denial of rights, but it insinuated that voting "no" would not allow religious groups to refuse to perform same-sex marriages? I can't believe it was this close, as written.