At a Georgia Republican Party convention over the weekend RNC Chairman Michael Steele said that gay marriage will create an undue burden on small business owners.

From the Associated Press:

Steele said that was just an example of how the party can retool its message to appeal to young voters and minorities without sacrificing core conservative principles. Steele said he used the argument weeks ago while chatting on a flight with a college student who described herself as fiscally conservative but socially liberal on issues like gay marriage.

“Now all of a sudden I’ve got someone who wasn’t a spouse before, that I had no responsibility for, who is now getting claimed as a spouse that I now have financial responsibility for,” Steele told Republicans at the state convention in traditionally conservative Georgia. “So how do I pay for that? Who pays for that? You just cost me money.”

Think again Mr. Steele.

Gay marriage has provided $111 million in economic stimulus to Massachusetts since becoming legal in 2004. If Proposition 8 had failed back in November, gay marriage would be pumping millions into the California economy according to this study.  Similar economic benefits have been projected in D.C., Maine and Vermont.

And just ask the florists, photographers, event planners and the whole range of other small business owners that would profit from marriage equality legislation.

This is simply another instance of forsaking party principals and letting bigotry and intolerance win out over profit. How un-Republican.

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.

On tonight’s Miss USA Pageant, Miss California was asked by Judge Perez Hilton if other states should follow Vermont’s lead by legalizing same-sex marriage. Here’s her answer.

[pro-player height=”0″ width=”0″ image=”https://inlookout.com/video/misscalifornia.jpg”]https://inlookout.com/video/misscalifornia.flv[/pro-player]

Miss California is actually Carrie Prejean, a junior at San Diego Christian College. Her favorite bible verse is Philippians 4:13 “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” That strength must have forsaken her tonight. Honestly I’m not sure how much of the judging is done in advance, but could her homophobic answer have cost Prejean the crown?

Perez Hilton responds, as only Perez can…

UPDATE: Pageant audience reactions from AP…

Some in the audience cheered, others booed. The answer sparked a shouting match in the lobby after the show.

“It’s ugly,” said Scott Ihrig, a gay man, who attended the pageant with his partner. “I think it’s ridiculous that she got first runner-up. That is not the value of 95 percent of the people in this audience. Look around this audience and tell me how many gay men there are.”

Charmaine Koonce, the mother of Miss New Mexico USA Bianca Carla, argued back.

“In the Bible it says marriage is between Adam and Eve not Adam and Steve!”

It just keeps getting better and better…