Gay marriage will again be on the ballot in November 2012.
A Midwestern state will be an interesting battle ground in the fight for marriage equality in 2012. The Republican-controlled state legislature of Minnesota managed to pass a measure calling for a vote for a state constitutional amendment.
Minnesota will be an interesting test case for the marriage equality activism. The state has a Republican legislature but a Democratic governor. The state has a strong pro-gay rights movement in the Twin Cities metropolitan area of Minneapolis and St. Paul. But a lot of the state’s population resides in rural communities and small town. Anti-gay rights crusader, United States Representative Michelle Bachmann is from Minnesota. Minnesota is a swing state, politically, with a complicated political character.
Battle Lines are Being Drawn
Though the initiative will not be up for a vote until November of 2012, political party activists have already weighed in on the subject. Minnesota is one state that has more than two major political parties recognized as major parties. The Independence Party has already announced, along with the Democratic Party, that it will campaign against the amendment. Independence party chair, Mark Jenkins, was quoted in the Minnesota Independent as saying, “Our platform declares that ‘We oppose having the government impose state-sponsored morality or values on people of good conscience with differing views.” The only major party that will be supporting this amendment will be the Republican Party, which has made this amendment part of its platform.
Depending on which races attract candidates from these parties, voters could have the option of deciding between two candidates who will be against this amendment.
Besides political parties, advocacy groups are getting ready to fight this battle in Minnesota.
Advocacy Groups and the Anti-Gay Marriage Amendment
The pro-gay Human Rights Campaign has already registered a political action committee to operate in the Minnesota elections in 2011. The Minnesota Family Freedom Political Action Committee is already operating in the state and is collecting funds for the defeat of this amendment. This political action committee will be using the money it raises solely to defeat this amendment at the polls.
It will be an interesting test of this issue at the ballot box in Minnesota. Minnesota is a state with both strong liberal and conservative forces. It is a state that can be friendly for both Democratic and liberal candidates. It has cities with substantial gays, lesbians, and their allies. Minnesota also has numerous small towns and rural areas that can be more conservative.
It will be a real test of activists for and against this issue and their ability to swing this state to their side,
Jon Pike - Pike is a Ph.D. in communication and writes about activism and popular culture topics for Suite101.
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