Gay marriage ban easily approved
By John Davis
and Alvin Benn
Montgomery Advertiser
A statewide constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage and a Lowndes County amendment to allow Sunday liquor sales both got the nod from voters Tuesday.
The Lowndes County vote was 59 percent to 41 percent in favor.
The marriage amendment was overwhelmingly approved. Early official returns showed the amendment receiving 80 percent of the vote. Christian Coalition of Alabama President John Giles, though, wanted an even bigger victory.
"We know we lost a lot of votes over confusion," said Giles, noting that some voters voted "no," thinking it meant they were against gay marriage when in fact a "no" vote meant they were against a ban.
Tuesday's defeat was a blow to the gay rights group Equality Alabama.
"The reality is that we all lose tonight," said Howard Bayless, the group's spokesman. "All of Alabama loses, and it sends a message to the rest of the world that we're still not ready for diversity."
Giles said the constitutional amendment wasn't an attack on gays but an affirmation of traditional marriage.
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Side Note*
Judge Roy Moore, the Judge in Alabama who lost his seat on the Alabama Supreme Court for not obeying a Federal Court Ruling on the Ten Commandments Monument in the High Court Building in Montgomery, lost his bid for governorship to the encumbent by an large margin.
By John Davis
and Alvin Benn
Montgomery Advertiser
A statewide constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage and a Lowndes County amendment to allow Sunday liquor sales both got the nod from voters Tuesday.
The Lowndes County vote was 59 percent to 41 percent in favor.
The marriage amendment was overwhelmingly approved. Early official returns showed the amendment receiving 80 percent of the vote. Christian Coalition of Alabama President John Giles, though, wanted an even bigger victory.
"We know we lost a lot of votes over confusion," said Giles, noting that some voters voted "no," thinking it meant they were against gay marriage when in fact a "no" vote meant they were against a ban.
Tuesday's defeat was a blow to the gay rights group Equality Alabama.
"The reality is that we all lose tonight," said Howard Bayless, the group's spokesman. "All of Alabama loses, and it sends a message to the rest of the world that we're still not ready for diversity."
Giles said the constitutional amendment wasn't an attack on gays but an affirmation of traditional marriage.
__________________________________________________
Side Note*
Judge Roy Moore, the Judge in Alabama who lost his seat on the Alabama Supreme Court for not obeying a Federal Court Ruling on the Ten Commandments Monument in the High Court Building in Montgomery, lost his bid for governorship to the encumbent by an large margin.