Out in California, gay-rights activists have proposed the Marriage Protection Act, which would outlaw divorce. It certainly makes a rhetorical point - similar to Jon Stewart (I think) who said that some conservatives are so enamored of marriage that they have completed three or more, start to finish!

Any takers for a similar campaign in Maine?

In last week's Phoenix, I wrote about New Left Media, and the No On 1 documentary they produced during election season. That doc was pretty straightforward (and moving), but Chase Whiteside and Erick Stoll are at their best (and funniest, and most terrifying) when they highlight the views of ill-informed right-wingers

John Aravosis at gay.americablog.com has an interesting account of the interplay between the DNC, the Obama administration, the New Jersey governor's race, and the No On 1 campaign here in Maine.

One very interesting point he makes is that the 2008 presidential race had far more people cast ballots than the 2009 No On 1 race.

Deirdre's morning-after-the-election blog post had a line early on that really struck me: she mentions the "sheer disbelief that so many people have a worldview that is so radically different from my own."

I don't think Deirdre is ignorant, or stupid, or insular - quite the opposite of any of that. But her perspective is enlightening.

According to the Bangor Daily News numbers as of 9:25 am, here is the breakdown by county, and a handy map (made with the help of Microsoft MapPoint) showing exactly how little of Maine voted for marriage equality (remember, Yes is to repeal equality and No is to protect it):

I'm very sorry. Personally, professionally, everything. This is terrible. But it has to be said. Jesse Connolly just gave what can only be described as a concession speech at the Holiday Inn by the Bay in Portland. Sure, he said they'd keep fighting, and make sure every vote was counted. But nobody talks that way if they're winning.

The National Catholic Reporter has a story about Pamela Starbird Beliveau of Lewiston, a lector and Eucharistic minister in her Catholic parish, who wrote an op-ed piece in the Sun Journal supporting same-sex marriage - and who very quickly received a letter from her parish priest saying she would no longer be allowed to lead worship services, specifically because of her pro-equality stance.

The National Catholic Reporter carried a story yesterday about the split in the Catholic Church in Maine, with many practicing Catholics publicly breaking from Bishop Richard Malone, who has led the anti-same-sex-marriage fight. (The Church has put up a lot of money, but so has a group reportedly closely tied to the Mormon Church.)

Out and about snapping photos for our election issue (hitting the streets tomorrow) this morning, I encountered this man in Deering Oaks Park. I didn't have a notebook or anything with me, but here's a sketch of who he is: He lives in Portland, and those are his flags. He brought them to the park, along with the chair he's leaning on as he prays, after several of his Yes on One signs were stolen -- he's keeping vigil (since Thursday!) over the new crop that's shown here.

With one week left before Election Day on Tuesday, November 3 (HOW is it almost November?), activists on all sides are pulling out their last-minute strategies. And local media outlets are overflowing with opinions too. (You can see our election coverage in this week's issue.)

At 10 a.m. tomorrow, Governor John Baldacci will speak in Bangor in favor of gay marriage and against ballot question #1.

The latest Repeal Equality Campaign ad (embedded below) just outright says that gay sex will be taught in Maine's grade schools. Suddenly, it seems, the Catholic Church, which is a major backer of this campaign, is concerned about kids learning about sex at a young age, and is concerned about the appropriateness of what they are learning.

The Harry Potter Alliance, "a global organization dedicated to bringing the themes of Harry Potter into the real world," is organizing wizard-loving activists in favor of gay marriage in Maine.

This Saturday morning (October 24), the HPA will bring Harry and the Potters and Draco and the Malfoys (I have no idea what these things mean but I bet lots of you do) to the North Star Cafe for a morning concert that starts at 10:30 a.

Blog conversation!

Just read Jeff's post, and I have some things to add/say. I think Jeff is right that gay-marriage opponents "are attempting to use education as a fear-motivated wedge issue in what is a civil rights issue."

But I disagree that the anti-marriage "campaign's claim that 'gay marriage will be taught in Maine schools' is a lie.

We hereby declare a moratorium on gay-marriage pro- and opponents impugning each other about out-of-state aid -- financial, personnel, or otherwise.

Stand For Marriage Maine, the opposition group behind this fall's People's Veto of the gay-marriage law, sent out a press release today that reads, in part:

One of California's largest gay activist groups held a press conference on Wednesday, August 12, announcing they will be diverting resources to Maine to help to keep Maine's new anti-traditional marriage bill on the law books.