I don’t believe in gay stereotypes. With one exception.
For a long time, I’ve been convinced homosexuals make lousy political strategists.
Yes, I saw “Milk,” the movie about assassinated San Francisco City Supervisor Harvey Milk, the first openly gay man ever elected in California. But before redistricting allowed Milk to squeak into office, he lost three straight (oops, sorry) elections.
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Yes, I’ve followed the career of former state senator and unsuccessful congressional candidate Dale McCormick, the first open lesbian member of the Maine Legislature. Today, McCormick heads a state agency in charge of weather-stripping or something. Like many of the local gay activists who’ve followed her, she never quite made it out of the minor leagues.
Yes, I’ve watched groups fighting to end discrimination based on sexual orientation finally gain approval of a state civil-rights law. But only after failing more times than Harvey Milk and for reasons – incompetence, arrogance, naivety – that were mostly their own fault.
Is it genetic? Is it environmental? Is it because one of their parents wasn’t a good role model?
Whatever the reason, the history of gay political activity in this state has been characterized by a bumbling ineptitude of a magnitude that makes the Maine Republican Party look functional.
OK, I’m exaggerating. Not even a comparison to Circuit City makes the Maine GOP look functional.
Given this background, I had low expectations for the proposal to legalize same-sex marriage in Maine. I figured our legislators, leery of the hysterical reaction elsewhere and distracted by this state’s fiscal crisis, would have little time and less stomach for such an emotional debate.
Bad timing.
Bad politics.
Bad guess on my part.
Because Equality Maine isn’t your lesbian grandmother’s gay-rights group. EM is the entity once known as the Maine Lesbian Gay Political Alliance (MLGPA, initials some believed stood for Most Likely to Get Pummeled Again). In remaking itself, the organization has proved that gayness and successful political strategizing can co-exist.
Consider me enlightened. I’m even canceling plans for a TV series in which I’d have given gay office-seekers advice about winning elections. It was going to be named “Straight Call For The Queer Pol.”
The marriage-equality bill sailed through the legislative process not because it wasn’t controversial, but because Equality Maine had carefully laid the groundwork.
At every step, the process was managed by the group not only for maximum political impact, but also to address broader concerns. EM has obviously been thinking outside the State House and preparing from the beginning for a public vote on the issue if opponents gather enough signatures to force a peoples’ veto referendum. That’s something MLGPA and its offspring Maine Won’t Discriminate lacked the foresight and the savvy to accomplish.
EM and its allies in the Maine Freedom to Marry Coalition started their campaign with a couple of smoothly coordinated moves. In November 2008, they sent volunteers to dozens of polling places to collect signatures supporting same-sex unions. In one day, they gathered 33,000 names. A week later, liberal clergy members held news conferences in several locations to endorse the marriage plan.
It took the surprised opposition almost a month to respond with its own list of religious leaders, by which time Equality Maine was lining up newspaper endorsements. A carefully staged press conference in January marked the bill’s introduction. Lots of upright-citizen types and cute kids. A month later, several clean-cut gay couples went to the State House to tell their stories and do a little lobbying. By March, 60 legislators has signed on as co-sponsors. Opponents were still trying to get their message straight (so to speak).
At the April public hearing, backers of the bill (dressed in red so they were easy to spot) outnumbered those against it by four to one. A few days later, Judiciary Committee members came out (well, sorta) in favor. Both the House and Senate gave the bill solid support, and it was promptly signed by Gov. John Baldacci, previously an opponent.
None of this happened by accident. It was all planned.
As was the wording of the ballot question opponents hope to use to repeal the law. Instead of mentioning only the same-sex marriage issue, the language approved by the secretary of state (after subtle lobbying by Equality Maine) also says the measure allows churches to refuse to perform such nuptials.
Balanced? Maybe. Slick? You bet.
Six months ago, I’d have given same-sex marriage about the same chance of winning a popular vote in Maine as I’d give Republicans of gaining control of the Legislature: zero. Now, I think the odds are close to even. And the momentum is all going one way.
Those gay people have gotten good at this political stuff.
Hey, is that a new stereotype?
Got a comment? No matter what type – stereo or mono – you can e-mail me at aldiamon@herniahill.net.
Mr. Diamon,
I am writing from Washington, DC but I grew up in Waterville, attended UMaine-Orono and hopefully played some part in the growth and development of LGBT rights in the late 70s and early 80s. While I agree with much of what you say in terms of strategy, there still seems resistance to the notion that the compelling reason that progress has been so slow is the cynical and shameful, sabotage of LGBT rights by the leadership of the Republican Party who remain unapologetic to this day.
The then Senator Bill Cohen did nothing or said nothing when Charlie Howard died from drowning after being thrown from the bridge in Bangor. Not even to endeavor to assist in community healing. Further, he implemented the treasonous Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell policy which still hounds LGBT militasry personnel out of service to their country. At a time when few loyal Arabic speakers can be found to assist and protect our country agianst Al Qaeda, this law was used just last month to terminate the services of another Arabic speaker for no other reason than his sexuality.
The former Governor and current spouse of Senator Olympia Snowe, John McKernan vetoed the LGBT rights bill after both Maine Senate and House passed legislation and threw the community under the bus by declaring the need for a referendum and thereby set a pattern of hostilities that persist to this day. We have
seen nothing but avoidance and evasion of culpablity from this man and his wife.
You can highlight the political amateurism of the Maine LGBT community all you want but that same characteristic apply to opposing community groups as well. The real cause for the long slough is the refusal of these two men and other members of the Republican Party to make a public appearrance of contrition for all of the harm they have perpetrated upon law abiding innocent Maine LGBT residents.