Gay 'marriage' thrown out by a 31st U.S. state.Byline: David Gardner David Gardner is one of the three founders of The Motley Fool. He is currently co-chairman of the board. He attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill on a Morehead-Cain Scholarship. VOTERS in the U.S. state A U.S. state is any one of the fifty subnational entities of the United States, although four states use the official title "commonwealth". The separate state governments and the federal government share sovereignty, in that an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of Maine yesterday rejected a law allowing same-sex 'marriage'. It means such unions have now been refused in all 31 states where the issue has been put directly to the electorate. The result in the north-eastern state North-Eastern State is a former administrative division of Nigeria. It was created on 27 May 1967 from parts of the Northern Region and existed until 3 February 1976, when it was divided into three states - Bauchi, Borno, and Gongola. - which is known for its moderate electorate - was hailed last night as a victory for traditional marriage. 'The institution of marriage has been preserved in Maine and across the nation,' said Frank Schubert Frank Schubert (1915 - 2003) was the last civilian lighthouse keeper in the United States. Schubert worked for the United States Coast Guard since 1939; at the time of his death he was serving at the Coney Island Lighthouse in Brooklyn, New York, where he had worked since , chief organiser for the winning side. A heavy voter turnout defied predictions that an energetic, well-financed campaign by gay rights activists would buck the national trend. The idea was rejected by 53 per cent of the vote. Five other states have legalised gay 'marriage' - Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire New Hampshire, one of the New England states of the NE United States. It is bordered by Massachusetts (S), Vermont, with the Connecticut R. forming the boundary (W), the Canadian province of Quebec (NW), and Maine and a short strip of the Atlantic Ocean (E). , Connecticut and Iowa - but all did so through legislation or court rulings. At issue in Tuesday's poll was legislation passed in Maine last spring to legalise Verb 1. legalise - make legal; "Marijuana should be legalized" decriminalise, decriminalize, legalize, legitimate, legitimatise, legitimatize, legitimise, legitimize same-sex 'marriages'. The law was put on hold after conservatives petitioned for a referendum. Opponents based many campaign ads on hotly disputed claims that the law would mean gay 'marriage' would be taught in schools. Before the vote, leading campaigner Chuck Schott warned that Maine 'will have its place in infamy' if it allowed the law to stand. The outcome was the biggest defeat for same-sex unions since California banned gay 'marriage' last year. Although domestic partnerships have been recognised in Maine since 2004, that arrangement does not give gay couples as many legal protections as married couples. Jubilant conservatives in Maine were last night discussing challenging the law in the five states where gay 'marriage' is allowed. But the gay rights lobby was defiant. 'We're in this for the long haul Long distance. Long haul implies traversing a state or a country. Contrast with short haul. . For next week, and next month, and next year - until all Maine families are treated equally,' said campaigner Jesse Connolly. |
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