Why is gay marriage being voted against in Maine?
Maine had voted to legally recognize same-sex marriages during May of 2009. However, the passing of this legislature prompted an immediate challenge from the socially conservative aspects of the state’s political field, prompting the November ballot on “Question 1.” Gay marriage opponents are rallying under the ideological flag of “protecting traditional marriage and values,” stressing the traditional interpretation of marriage as between man and woman. They are also highlighting the fear that the passing of the May 6 legislation will mandate the teaching of gay marriage in schools – though same-sex marriage proponents and the state attorney has denied that any part of the bill has such a provision. While the campaign against gay marriage rests on the grounds of its perceived threat to the traditional institution of heteronormative marriage, legal experts “don’t know” what the threats actually are. Polls have indicated that the vote on the issue splits along rural-urban lines. Historic
