September 25, 2012 4:38 PM
Gay man: why I oppose gay marriage
This appears toward the end of this op-ed:
"Full disclosure: I am gay. A few years ago, I was on the other side of
the fence on this topic. But the more I read, thought, investigated and
attempted to defend my position, the more I realized that I couldn't. I
feel very strongly that gay relationships should be supported by
society. I have grown convinced, however, that the term "marriage"
should not be altered or adjusted in any way."
A courageous act by a gay man who is co-founder of the National Capital Tea Party Patriots:
Why I oppose gay marriage
By Doug Mainwaring, Published: September 21
Supporters of same-sex
marriage in Maryland assert that both momentum and history are on their
side. But these are assertions, not facts. In recent months, a
development in the debate leading up to the November referendum on the
issue has challenged these claims in a surprising way:
This summer, the petition that led to the state's newly enacted
same-sex marriage law being put on the ballot was back in the
spotlight. The Washington Blade published the names and addresses of all petition signatories on its Web site. Many supporters of same-sex marriage were stunned to find the names of family members, friends and neighbors.
One reader commented, "It really is disappointing to see so many people
we know on this list. Personally, finding that aunts and uncles and my
own father had signed was very upsetting." Another said, "Just found out
that our next door neighbors of 10 YEARS signed the Civil Marriage
Petition to repeal the change coming in Maryland."
After a certain
point, the Board of Elections stopped counting. Of the 109,313
signatures certified by the board, only a little more than 53 percent of
the signers were Republican (58,470). Nearly 37 percent were Democrats
(40,046), and the remaining 10 percent were unaffiliated (10,645) and a
smattering of Libertarians (112) and Green Party members (40).
The
petitions made it clear to everyone: It's not just Republicans who
object to this legislation. This is a common, mainstream concern.
Read more at Washington Post
Posted in Homosexuality | Permalink
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While only 56,650 certified signatures were necessary to get the measure on the ballot, more than 160,000 signatures were collected and delivered to the Maryland Secretary of State.