The year started off slowly as advocates were still reeling from Proposition 8's approval.
Then suddenly come spring it was an avalanche of good news: Vermont! Iowa! New Hampshire! Maine! Only to be followed by another blow to the gut when the California Supreme Court upheld Proposition 8, no matter how expected that decision was.
The summer was a troubled calm, as the realization that a referendum to overturn Maine's law would be 'a shot heard round the country' sank in. I watched in growing dread as summer turned to fall and the opposition unleashed their ad campaign, a replay of California's with its lies and baseless accusations.
November 4th came and the defeat was made all the more painful by what looked to be promising early returns. But the numbers didn't hold and as the night wore on it was a clear defeat. All that effort, all those favorable ads, all that organization and campaign staff and volunteer effort; all for nought. Numbers even worse than in California a year ago. Puke.
Then a ray of hope from Washington State, a victory promised but not delivered in New York, the ramifications of Maine and New York felt in New Jersey as hope faded, and finally an uplifting triumph in Washington DC and a surprise from Mexico City closed out a rollercoaster of a year.
Looking forward, New Hampshire's law will go into effect January 1st, but after that, pretty much a void unless New Jersey and New York legislators have some sort of miraculous vote-changing epiphanies. Unless there's some Congressional action on things like ENDA, DADT and DOMA, it's going to be a year of holding on to gains (Iowa), preparing the groundwork for future year campaigns, but little visible progress.
Here's a detailed timeline for 2009, taken from my personal notes.
Mar 5 : California Supreme Court hears oral arguments in Prop 8 case
Mar 23 : Vermont Senate votes for EMR legislation
Apr 1 : Sweden's parliament approves EMR legislation
Apr 3 : Iowa Supreme Court rules unanimously in favor of EMR
Apr 3 : Vermont House votes for EMR legislation
Apr 6 : Iowa Senate Majority leader Gronstal blocks amendment to
override Iowa Supreme Court ruling, saying 'You guys don't understand. You've already lost.'
Apr 7 : Vermont legislature overrides Governor's veto of EMR legislation
Apr 27 : First same-sex weddings take place in Iowa
Apr 30 : New Hampshire Senate votes for EMR
May 5 : Maine legislature passes EMR legislation
May 6 : Maine governor signs EMR legislation
May 13 : New York State Assembly votes for EMR
May 26 : California Supreme Court upholds Proposition 8.
Jun 3 : New Hampshire Governor Lynch signs EMR legislation.
Aug 20 : First television ad in favor of EMR in Maine appear.
Together
Sept 1 : Vermont EMR legislation takes effect. For the first time, two
people of the same sex were legally married in the US by dint of legislative will, not a court order.
Sep 11 : Britain apologies to Alan Turing
Sep 15 : First television ad from EMR opponents in Maine airs; claims
homosexual marriage will be taught in schools.
Sep 25 : Bill Clinton comes out in favor of EMR
Oct 1 : Nate Silver sets the odds at 3:1 to uphold Maine's EMR law.
Oct 12 : Equal rights march on Washington, Obama address to HRC
Oct 20 : polling by PPP in Maine shows a toss up.
Nov 4 : Washington State upholds by referendum an 'everything but marriage'
domestic partnership law.
Nov 4 : EMR is defeated in Maine, 47% - 53%, a larger than expected
margin and a psychologically devastating defeat.
Nov 6 : EMR opponents demonstrate their rhetorical skill in Washington DC:
"If a man can marry another man, what's to stop him from marrying a cobra?"
Dec 1 : Washington DC City Council votes 11-2 for EMR bill.
Dec 2 : EMR bill in New York Senate suffers crushing defeat, 38-24.
Dec 7 : New Jersey Senate Judiciary Committee votes 7-6 in favor of EMR.
Dec 10 : Vote in the New Jersey Senate indefinitely postponed.
Dec 17 : Portuguese government introduces EMR legislation
Dec 18 : Mayor Fenty of Washington DC signs EMR rights law.
Dec 21 : Mexico City legislature passes an EMR law.
Jan 1 : New Hampshire EMR legislation takes effect.
For a longer view of the struggle for LGBT rights, covering the last decade,
try this table (pdf).