Marriage News Blog
By Adam Umhoefer, AFER Executive Director
Tomorrow the fate of ballot measures on marriage for gay and lesbian couples in four states will be decided. And the campaigns for and against marriage equality could not have been more different.
Find out what you can do for each state at AFER’s Election Center.
In Maine, Maryland, Minnesota and Washington, campaigns based on the same anti-gay playbook used to pass California’s Proposition 8 in 2008 have attempted to sway voters using nothing but fear and prejudice. Even though AFER’s bipartisan legal team, led by distinguished co-counsel Ted Olson and David Boies, dismantled these specious claims in federal court, the anti-marriage campaigns continue to rely on harmful lies about gay and lesbian Americans in order to prevent loving couples from getting married.
By contrast, the campaigns for fairness and equality are based on acceptance and love.
While AFER firmly believes that fundamental civil rights should never be put up to vote, when marriage equality is on the ballot, it is incumbent on each of us to ensure that our gay and lesbian neighbors are not denied the freedom to marry the person they love.
Regardless of what happens tomorrow, we can all be proud of the work that has been done in these states. Conversations about why marriage equality is important for ALL Americans have continued to open hearts and change minds unlike ever before.