By CHRIS JOHNSON, Washington Blade
Jul 16 2009, 11:46 PM |
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Anti-gay and Catholic groups made the largest donations in recent months to overturn Maine's new same-sex marriage law, helping opponents of such unions outraise supporters more than 2-1.
Campaign finance reports made available Wednesday show that while people trying to defend the law raised $148,930.32, opponents of same-sex marriage raised $344,619.50. The reports detail the period between April 1 and July 5.
In May, Maine became the fifth state in the nation to legalize same-sex marriage. But the possibility of a "people's veto" threatens the new law. If opponents of same-sex marriage gather enough petition signatures for a "people's veto" before the law takes effect, the law will be put up for a vote and the electorate will decide the matter.
The threshold for getting enough signatures is low — just 55,087 names are needed — so LGBT activists are planning to protect the law on November's ballot. Proponents of the "people's veto" have said they already have enough signatures to get the measure on the ballot.
Some of the organizations that donated to the campaign in favor of the "people's veto" also donated to the campaign in favor of Proposition 8, which last year ended same-sex marriage in California. Active political action committees in favor of the referendum are Marriage Matters in Maine and StandforMarriage.com.
Catholic organizations and anti-gay groups were the most noteworthy donors:
• National Organization for Marriage donated $160,000 in cash contributions and $9,066.43 in in-kind contributions;
• Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland donated $100,000 in cash contributions and $10,339.73 in in-kind contributions;
• Focus on the Family's Maine Marriage Committee donated $31,000 in cash contributions and $2,594.62 in in-kind contributions;
• Knights of Columbus donated $50,000 in cash contributions;
• and Maine Family Policy Council donated $625 in cash contributions.
Catholic organizations outside Maine also made major donations to the campaign. Catholic Charities for the Diocese of Evansville in Indiana and the Archdiocese of Santa Fe in New Mexico donated $1,000 each.
Jesse Connolly, campaign manger for Maine Freedom to Marry, said "it's not a surprise" to see that Catholic organizations contributed money in favor of the "people's veto." He noted that the public affairs official for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland, Marc Mutty, has taken leave to chair the campaign in opposition to the marriage law.
Marianne Duddy-Burke, executive director of Dignity USA, an LGBT Catholic organization, said it's important to note the distinction between Catholic leaders and parishioners.
"The funding that's from the official church — that is being spent by the bishops who are not accountable to parishioners, many of whom are absolutely furious and appalled at the fact that their bishops are spending the money that these folks donate to help support their parishes [and] folks really who are underprivileged and who should be at the core of our concerns," she said. "To have that money be directed to campaigns to legitimize state-sponsored discrimination is something that most Catholics, when they're made aware of it, find infuriating."
Additionally, one Catholic group has announced its plan to launch a campaign against marriage rights for same-sex couples in New York, Rhode Island and Maine.
The group, known as the American Society for the Defense of Tradition, Family & Property, plans to tour major cities in these states to rally opposition to same-sex marriage and deliver tout "10 reasons why homosexual 'marriage' is harmful and must be opposed," according to a press release.
"Like counterfeit currency, homosexual 'marriage' is not true marriage," spokesperson John Ritchie said in the release. "It is morally wrong, sinful, offensive to God and a violation of natural law."
Duddy-Burke said it's "tragic" that some Catholic organizations would work against same-sex marriage and said these groups are "misrepresenting the Catholic perspective."
Campaign to protect law
also receives donations
In response to these combined efforts, several LGBT and allied groups are working to protect the statute.
The active PACs in favor of the same-sex marriage law are Maine Freedom to Marry and Mid-Coast for Marriage Equality. Compared to the PACs raising money to rescind the law, PACs in favor of same-sex marriage had dozens more donors of $50 or more who are Maine residents.
Among the organizations that donated to the campaign supporting the marriage law were:
• Human Rights Campaign donated $25,000 in cash contributions and $15,782.31 in in-kind contributions;
• American Civil Liberties Union donated $10,000 in cash contributions;
• Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders donated $3,392 in in-kind contributions;
• Equality Maine donated $5,000 in cash contributions and $22,703.40 in in-kind contributions;
• and the LGBT Mentoring Project, a Los Angeles-based organization, donated $9,125 in in-kind contributions.
Connolly said his organization was "pleased with the amount of money" it raised this quarter, particularly from donors within Maine.
"I think we're really excited to highlight our grassroots support we have, especially among Maine residents who have shown up in our report," he said.
Connolly said Maine Freedom to Marry always knew it would be outspent in the campaign and that the group plans to rely on its grassroots support to defend the law at the ballot box.
"I think finances tell one part of the story," he said. "I think the other part of the story is this amazing grassroots network that we have, the tens of thousands of supporters that we have across the state — they already told us that they intend to fully support equality at the polls. Our effort is going to be heavily relied upon by them."
Marty Rouse, HRC's national field director, said HRC made its contributions because activists in Maine have built a great campaign to protect the marriage law.
"We believe that our allies in Maine have created a strong, experienced, Maine-based campaign that we think can defeat the ballot question in November," he said. "We think that win will not only have significance for the community in Maine, but will have national significance if we are able to win in November."
But Rouse emphasized the need for the campaign to have financial backing early on to be successful.
"It's important that our community understand[s] the need to fund campaigns early," he said. "If the funds are not there early, we cannot build a strong campaign."
He also noted, "Our opponents understand this, and that is why you see money coming from organizations to our opposition in significant amounts and rather early in the campaign."
Rouse said HRC expects supporters of same-sex marriage in Maine and across the country "to raise significant funds" to defeat the referendum and HRC is hopeful that money will come in soon.
Monique Hoeflinger, an executive committee member for Maine Freedom to Marry, had previously said in a phone conference that activists fighting the "people's veto" would need a minimum of $3 million to $5 million to win, and possibly upwards of $10 million.
A number of prominent activists also donated cash contributions<
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