EQUAL RIGHTS

Maine Pushes For Gay Marriage

Would be first state where public enacted law.

Gay-marriage advocates in Maine are appealing to voters to make the practice legal in the state. If the measure makes it to the November ballot and passes, Maine would be the first state in the U.S. where the law was enacted due to public approval, as opposed to court rulings or legislation. Lawmakers in New Jersey, Washington, and Maryland are also pushing to make same-sex marriage legal this year. A 2011 Gallup poll revealed that a majority of Americans (53 percent in comparison with 44 percent in 2010) are in favor of legalizing the practice. Democrats and independents accounted for the change, while Republicans’ views on the issue remained the same. In 2009, voters in Maine rejected a same-sex marriage law by a margin of 53 percent to 47 percent.