Rachel noted on the show on Monday night, “Tomorrow could also be a big night for gay rights. So far out of the 32 times that marriage equality for same sex couples has been on a ballot in an American state, the record for the gay rights side has been 0-32. But tomorrow, that might finally change.”
And change it did.
In an historic election night for the gay rights movement, voters in Maine and Maryland became the first in the country to approve same-sex marriage, breaking a 32-state losing streak.
According to the Associated Press, Maine passed a ballot measure legalizing it on Tuesday night — an issue put on the ballot by gay marriage supporters — while voters in Maryland approved a law legalizing gay marriage that was actually passed earlier this year by the state legislature. The Washington Post reports that gay couples in Maryland will be able to wed starting Jan. 1.
The success continued in the state of Washington: “With the vote count still incomplete, Washington’s Referendum 74 was ahead with 52 percent of the votes. If it’s ultimately successful, same-sex couples could apply for marriage licenses as early as Dec. 6.”
Maine, Maryland, and the state of Washington will join Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Iowa, Vermont, New York, Connecticut, and the District of Columbia in allowing two consenting adults to get married, regardless of sexual orientation.
What’s more, in Minnesota, anti-gay activists pushed an amendment to the state constitution to solidify a ban on marriage equality, and as of this morning, it appears voters rejected the amendment.
It wasn’t long ago that this issue was an automatic win for the right at the ballot box. As the arc of history bends towards justice, it’s a new, more progressive day.
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