Main Governor Baldacci has signed LD 1020 granting marriage equality to all Maine citizens. From the Bangor Daily News:

[Governor] Baldacci made his announcement within an hour of the Maine Senate giving its final approval to LD 1020. The Senate voted 21-13 in favor of the measure after a short debate.

The House of Representatives gave its approval on a 89-57 vote Tuesday.

The proposal would make Maine the fifth state to allow gay marriage.

The following statement was released after Baldacci signed the bill:

“I have followed closely the debate on this issue. I have listened to both sides, as they have presented their arguments during the public hearing and on the floor of the Maine Senate and the House of Representatives. I have read many of the notes and letters sent to my office, and I have weighed my decision carefully,” Governor Baldacci said. “I did not come to this decision lightly or in haste.”

“I appreciate the tone brought to this debate by both sides of the issue,” Governor Baldacci said. “This is an emotional issue that touches deeply many of our most important ideals and traditions. There are good, earnest and honest people on both sides of the question.”

“In the past, I opposed gay marriage while supporting the idea of civil unions,” Governor Baldacci said. “I have come to believe that this is a question of fairness and of equal protection under the law, and that a civil union is not equal to civil marriage.”

“Article I in the Maine Constitution states that ‘no person shall be deprived of life, liberty or property without due process of law, nor be denied the equal protection of the laws, nor be denied the enjoyment of that person’s civil rights or be discriminated against.’”

“This new law does not force any religion to recognize a marriage that falls outside of its beliefs. It does not require the church to perform any ceremony with which it disagrees. Instead, it reaffirms the separation of Church and State,” Governor Baldacci said.

“It guarantees that Maine citizens will be treated equally under Maine’s civil marriage laws, and that is the responsibility of government.”

“Even as I sign this important legislation into law, I recognize that this may not be the final word,” Governor Baldacci said. “Just as the Maine Constitution demands that all people are treated equally under the law, it also guarantees that the ultimate political power in the State belongs to the people.”

“While the good and just people of Maine may determine this issue, my responsibility is to uphold the Constitution and do, as best as possible, what is right. I believe that signing this legislation is the right thing to do,” Governor Baldacci said.

Welcome to the party Maine! Come on California… we’re next!

New polls released by ABC and CBS have shown support for same-sex marriage growing.

From the ABC poll released today:

… Take gay marriage, legal in Massachusetts, Connecticut and now Iowa, with Vermont coming aboard in September. At its low, in 2004, just 32 percent of Americans favored gay marriage, with 62 percent opposed. Now 49 percent support it versus 46 percent opposed — the first time in ABC/Post polls that supporters have outnumbered opponents.

More than half, moreover — 53 percent — say gay marriages held legally in another state should be recognized as legal in their states.

Which is up from the from 42% from a CBS poll released 2 days ago.

Forty-two percent of Americans now say same sex couples should be allowed to legally marry, a new CBS News/New York Times poll finds. That’s up nine points from last month, when 33 percent supported legalizing same sex marriage.

Support for same sex marriage is now at its highest point since CBS News starting asking about it in 2004.

We’ve got the momentum folks. Perhaps the kick in the rear quarters known as Prop 8 was what this country needed to move forward on the marriage equality front.

The National Organization for Marriage is launching a nation-wide TV campaign against gay marriage starting in New York, Rhode Island and California. The ominous ad promises a “gathering storm” where freedoms are be taken away, churches punished, and schools are allowed to teach that gay marriage is “okay.” Watch.

Where marriage equality opponents see a gathering storm, the rest of us see the clouds breaking… and it’s a beautiful sight.

Despite a last minute push by the Connecticut Catholic Conference which paid for last minute television advertising, Connecticut voters on November 4th rejected a constitutional convention that could take away the right of marriage equality from all its citizens. And those same-sex marriages begin today.

Below is the ad funded by the Connecticut Catholic Conference.

From the Hartford Courant:

“The Church has been like the cavalry coming over the hill with guns blazing,” said Peter Wolfgang, executive director of the Family Institute of Connecticut, which supported the convention. “The other side was outspending us 83 to 1. The only thing that leveled it out is the Catholic Church.”

And to be fair, here is the ad run by those opposing a constitutional convention.

One observation: At least they had the courage to mention “gay marriage” in their advertising, unlike California.

So while Question 1 failed, it’s still a sad reminder of how pervasive this movement really is, as Mormons, Catholics and other faith-based groups pressure states to adopt discrimination into their constitutions, banning same-sex marriage. We just lost our rights to marry in California, thanks to that effort, in great part to the Mormon church, and to a lesser degree Catholics, who invited the Mormons to join the fray back in June. Rights were also lost in Florida and Arizona on November 4th, as well as a number of other states in previous elections.

While I’m happy for the people of Connecticut who made a stand and didn’t let fear get in the way of equal rights, I wonder if more money had been spent in support of the constitutional convention, would gay men and women still be saying “I do” today.