In Ohio, a ban on gay marriage passed the legislature in 2004 during George W. Bush’s re-election campaign. Now, one openly gay Cincinatti lawmaker says he’s ready to champion the cause, reports WLWT Ohio.
“For young people as myself and the other young members of Council, it’s like this is a non-issue, like, of course this is something that should happen,” said Chris Seelbach, Cincinatti’s first openly gay City Council member.
Gay marriage—totally, like, of course—duh!
Marriage-equality org Freedom to Marriage has put some oomph into the matter by collecting 1,700 signatures, which will begin the campaign to get the issue back on the ballot come November.
How about we take this to the next level?
Our newsletter is like a refreshing cocktail (or mocktail) of LGBTQ+ entertainment and pop culture, served up with a side of eye-candy.
But, this being Ohio, there are obviously some dumb anti-gay crusaders, right? Right.
“We’re pro-family, and family is about a man and a woman coming together, raising children,” said Phil Burress of Citizens for Community Values. “You know, these people have the right to do what they want to, but they don’t have the right to change public policy… They don’t have the right to expose our children, you know, to homosexual behavior and tell them it’s normal and it’s just like heterosexual sex. It’s not.”
LGBT people are incapable of raising a child, right. And homo sex is so different from breeder sex—we hear that straight people are physically incapable of doing anal.
Anyway, gay marriage in Ohio—going places? Maybe.
We’ll keep you updated, but we’re not holding our breath.
Jonathonz
Actually Mr. Burress is right. Gay sex isn’t just like straight sex. If you’re gay, it’s better!
Buddy
Cincinnati must be the most misspelled city in the country.
Steve
Interesting how only the public should vote when the government tries to legalize marriage equality.
Actually, I guess it is to be expected.
Hyhybt
#3: The ban is a constitutional amendment. Therefore, short of a favorable and applicable court ruling, it can only be undone by another amendment. And those are done by popular vote. When putting people’s rights to a vote is the only chance of getting them, it’s foolish to refuse to do it that way just because it’s not ideal.
However, as I understand it, current polling has only 30% or so for us and over 50% against. Even when polls show much nearer splits we lose. I hate to say this, but this is not the time yet for Ohio.
Thomas Alex
Over 40% of heterosexuals engage in anal sex, not to mention the male g spot is in the butt!
Thomas Alex
@Hyhybt:
I don’t know what poll your reading, but over 50% of the nation now support same-sex marriage.
http://www.pollingreport.com/civil.htm
Hyhybt
@Thomas Alex: I don’t know what article you’re reading, but this one is specifically about a potential vote in the state of Ohio, not nationally.
Amanda
Actually Hyhybt is right
http://www.publicpolicypolling.com/pdf/2011/PPP_Release_OH_1025.pdf
Hyhybt
@Amanda: Thank you; I think I read about the poll on Box Turtle Bulletin or some such place, but I can’t be certain. Regardless… the odds that this would *pass* in Ohio this year if it made it to the ballot are about as good as the Costa Concordia’s replacement being named “Andrea Doria II.”
Chuck
This is a really bad idea during a presidential election year. As Queerty notes, this very issue brought out the bigots for Bush in ’04, so why rehash it now? While I guess the Cincinnati city councilman’s heart is in the right place, he needs to do his homework fist. By that I mean, there is SERIOUS work that needs to be done in Ohio before a repeal of marriage equality could ever hope to pass. As this article notes, they have their very own NOM right in the councilman’s backyard. Phil Burris is about as evil and reactionary as any bigot who has ever existed in this country. Further, Cincinnati continues to support the likes of John Boehner, Rob Portman, Mitch McConnell across the river, and even Mike Pence in Cincinnati exurbs in Indiana. Essentially, the town is the epicenter of hate in the United States. There is much work to do among these sorry excuses for leaders that Cincinnati keeps electing. Do that before foolishly giving Republicans another 2004 Ohio election.
Mark
@hyhybt The plan isn’t to put it on the ballot this year. The only ones who have said anything about this year are the bigots. No plan is set on what year to put it on the ballot. Once we get the language approved and collect over 385,000+ sigs we get to decide what year we want it on the ballot. If we decide 2016 we’d have to recollect the sigs lost due to moving or dying but we wouldn’t have to start from scratch. In 2004 62% of Ohioans opposed relationship recognition which includes both civil unions and marriage for same sex couples. In early Oct 2011 PPP released a poll that said 62% support relationship recognition. 28% support marriage equality. Thats a 24% swing while doing nothing to drive the conversation here in the state. There has been an intense conversation since that poll in Ohio using earned media. Presidential years are better for us because our voters turn out for those elections. Plus the tide is swinging as I have already shown in the PPP poll a poll that used improper biased language skewing the results.
Chuck
The rights of a minority should never be put to a ballot of the majority. Efforts would be much better spent trying to change hearts and minds of EVERY single national representative from the Cincinnati region. Each and every one is extremely homophobic including Boehner, Jean Schmidt, Mitch McConnell, Mike Pence, and Rob Portman. If you can’t even convince a congressional district to support a non-homophobic rep, what makes you think you can get a majority to vote for minority rights. As to the fiction that presidential election years are better at bringing out pro-LGBT Ohioan, please see Ken Mehlman and Bush/Ken Blackwell’s 2004 Ohio strategy.