k 'riìlK ih
October 1 .2004 •
news
L ouisiana
and the
just
O U t 19
R eferendum D ominos
Severol other states to vote on same-sex marriage bans this fall
by Bob Roehr
ouisiana voters went to the polls
Sept. 18 and by 78 percent to 22
percent opted to amend their state
constitution to prohibit same-sex
marriage.
Gay and lesbian leaders acknowledged that
similar measures on the November ballot likely
will pass in 11 other states, hut a handful of
states look less grim than others. They discussed
those plans with reporters in a Sept. 19 tele
conference arranged by the National Gay and
Lesbian Task Force.
“All across the country, our community is
very much the underdog,” said Matt Foreman,
executive director of NGLTF. “In every one of
those instances, we are the underdog in terms of
people and resources. We believe strongly that if
we have the time and the resources to talk to
people about this issue that we could win these.”
Louisianan Tim Homback, executive direc
tor of the Forum for Equality PAC and Founda-
tum, said: “We’re in the Deep South, the Bible
Belt. Once you step out of New Orleans, things
become rapidly different.”
He acknowledged: “We took it on the chin
and we lost, hut we also won. We have a
stronger infrastructure now. We now have
groups throughout the state” where none
existed before.
The pro-gay forces in Louisiana ran their
campaign on less than $50,000, which Foreman
called “not even a drop in the bucket.” Most of
that money funded legal moves that tried to
keep the measure off the ballot.
Louisiana law says that a constitutional
amendment can only address a sin
out how far-reaching part two of this amend
gle issue, and opponents have
ment is, they are planning to overwhelmingly
argued that the measure that passed
stand with us and vote no in November.”
addressed two issues and therefore
The trick is to reach enough voters to
should he declared void. That law-
explain this. The emphasis is on walking door
suit will be filed shortly.
to door in eight communities.
Foreman said the state amend
Earlier campaigns to try to block anti-gay mar
ments are being pushed by social
riage efforts in Hawaii, California and the U.S.
conservatives as a way to turn out
Congress often avoided even using the words
the vote to support their candidates.
“gay” or “marriage,” choosing instead to talk
“By that measure they failed” in
about fairness and not amending constitutions.
Louisiana, he argued. “This hot-
“That is not persuasive to voters," Fleischer
button issue did not turn out the
said. “Our fear in dealing with the issue in a
electorate in the way they
direct way was obvious. We were not even
thought.”
engaging in a conversation with voters."
Only 28 percent of registered
Foreman said that earlier messages were
voters showed up at the polls, com
developed from the summation of a long prcKess
pared with 49.5 percent last year,
with focus groups. “But we really haven’t had
when more issues and contested
the resources to go through the different levels”
races were on the ballot.
of grappling with the complex issues surround
Dave Fleischer, NGLTF’s direc
ing same-sex marriage with the larger public.
tor of organizing and training, said
The Oregon campaign is taking at least a
Louisiana and the earlier losing
half-step away from this toward greater honesty,
battle in Missouri “tell us where we
and an even larger step with greater resources.
start on the issue of same-sex mar
“One of the components is asking people to
riage with the American public.
take a look at marriage and appreciate that it is
But they don’t tell us where we are
not as simple as people think. Not allowing
n/\md
i r s icK *'
n z iim o r
going to f finish”
if rU
the
queer corn-
people to marry causes real harm to real fami
munity runs strong campaigns to Aisling Coghlan, manager of the No on 36 campaign, cites
lies,” Fleischer explained.
change those attitudes, he said,
He said that Michigan offers potentially fer
Oregon’s history of defeating anti-gay ballot measures
“It is clear that a majority of
tile political ground to defeat its amendment hut
states are going to vote on this issue by 2007.
The community lost that first fight hut came that the sheer size of the state means it would
This is really the first national referendum our hack to win the subsequent battles.
require three times the financial and volunteer
country has ever had on any issue,” Fleischer
That first campaign “really started a conver resources as Oregon. That practical concern
said. “Turning hack even one of these anti-gay sation with Oregon voters about GLBT issues,” makes it a lower priority for national resources.
ballot measures illustrates our Coghlan said. The three later victories demon
Utah offers another surprising ray of hope.
potential to change hearts and strated that Oregon voters “don’t want to treat The three candidates for state attorney general
minds and votes on this issue.”
gay and lesbian Oregonians unequally.”
have come ou{ against its amendment because
He cautioned against relying
She is especially optimistic
of flaws in the language that
exclusively on the courts on this because of the legacy of 16,000 "^¡j QQ[Q$$ Q(Jf (OUlltfV ma^e a overly broad. And the
issue. Historically, the courts do donors and more than 5,000
.
.
Mormon Church, a dominant
not like to get tixi far ahead of volunteers from the earlier strug- 0UI COmmUillty IS VB iy force in the state, has so far
public opinion as reflected at the gles. The campaign has raised m n rh tha lmrlarr1nn,,
^cPr quiet on the issue. Local
ballot box. The community must $1.3 million so far and began
“
“ UllUclUUy
organizing is proceeding.
show at least some popular sup broadcasting commercials in
— Matt Foreman
Foreman urged the commu-
port for same-sex marriage.
September. But the key to it all
nity to “define our own victo-
Oregon is shaping up as the is one-on-one conversations with voters about ries and not have victory defined solely at the
strongest hope to defeat an what the constitutional amendment means.
ballot box.” That means using the state cam
anti-gay amendment. Aisling
Kentucky, which is facing its first statewide paigns to better organize the community, build
Coghlan, manager of the No on campaign on a gay issue, falls between the two alliances and educate the broader public.
C onstitutional Amendment extremes in terms of its resources and organiza
“That is victory, and we should not mini
36 campaign, said Oregon is tion. Sarah Reece, No on the Amendment mize those victories,” he said. j n
Matt Foreman, executive director of the National Gay and different
different because
because “we
“we have
have campaign manager, said the language “forever
Lesbian Task Force, says more pro-gay campaigns could be fought four anti-gay hSTlot mea- bans access to legal recognition to all unmarried
B o b R o eh r is a free-lance r e e n te r based in
won if more money was available
sures” dating from 1988.
partners, both straight and gay. When folks find
Washington, D.C.
C\\J esisldey
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