Published: November 07, 2009 11:32 pm      

ROBIN L. QUILLON | It’s your choice to be gay, but it’s not a civil right

There is one thing certain about all elections: Change happens, but not everyone is pleased by the results.

The gay community was dealt yet another setback when the voters of Maine were given an opportunity to reject a law passed and signed by the governor allowing same-sex marriages.

As in California, the will of the majority has been upheld, as it always should be.

As I have said before, the people of any state have the right to define what a marriage is or is not. Otherwise, anything would go. And Maine says marriage is to be between a man and a woman. Issue closed.

For whatever reason, the gay community still does not understand or comprehend the message of the people, as evidenced by one dejected supporter, Ms. Burnett.

“I’m ready to start crying,” said Burnett, a 58-year-old massage therapist, walking out of the ballroom with Ms. Swanson at her side after the defeat. “I don’t understand what the fear is, why people are so afraid of this change. It hurts. It hurts personally. It’s a personal rejection of us and our relationship, and I don’t understand what the fear is.”

Look, striking down this law by the people of Maine – a law, I might add, that was not the will of the people in the first place – was in no way a personal rejection of their relationship. There was no fear of change.

This was not a homophobic reaction.

No, it was a rejection of a minority group that is trying to force its lifestyle choice into the mainstream and redefine the long-held tradition and concept of marriage. The question could also be asked, why can’t the gay community understand this?

I am hearing more and more gay activists refer to and equate their struggles with the civil rights movement. A gay lifestyle/marriage is not a civil right any more than it is a civil right to marry more than one wife or husband, your dog or a horse.

A gay lifestyle is a choice. And to equate such is an insult to the African-American community and diminishes its brutal struggles of the past.

African-Americans did not choose to be unmercifully persecuted and denied constitutional rights.

Put to a proper vote, the people of Maine have spoken loud and clear.

What is interesting to note is this:

Gay marriage has now lost in every state, 31 in all, in which it has been put to a popular vote.

Legislators and gay activists may try, as they will, to slip their agenda through the back door into law, avoiding the will of the people for a small moment.

But in the end, they must convince and come face to face with the will of the people.

And so far, the answer is “No” to redefining marriage.

There are now five states with legalized gay marriage: Massachusetts, Iowa, Vermont, New Hampshire and Connecticut.

But these states passed laws through legislation or rogue court rulings and not by a popular vote.

Our form of government demands the will of the people be heard and upheld.

The gay community surely must realize that it is only a matter of time and inevitable that these five states must reconcile this law before the people in a statewide vote.

“The institution of marriage has been preserved in Maine and across the nation,” said Frank Schubert, the chief organizer for Stand for Marriage Maine, which lobbied for the repeal.

However, Jesse Connolly, campaign manager for No on 1/Protect Maine Equality, said the fight for marriage equality will continue. He said his group is not short-timers and that they are in this for the long haul. He said they will be there next week, month and year fighting.

The gay community should continue its fight. Why? Because free speech is a civil right.



Robin L. Quillon is the publisher of The Tribune-Democrat. He can be reached at rquillon@tribdem.com.