Gay-rights advocates have mixed night

Gay-rights advocates suffered one setback and achieved a win Tuesday night with two state referendums addressing the rights of same-sex couples.

Voters in Maine overturned a bill passed by the State Legislature that allowed homosexuals to marry, leaving advocates deflated.

With 98 percent of precincts reporting as of Wednesday afternoon, the move to overturn the legislation was passing 52.8 percent to 47.2.

Supporters have apparently won an election in Washington state, where Referendum 71 — a measure that would grant gay couples the rights of marriage without explicitly defining their relations as such — appeared to be passing. The measure was leading by a 51-to-49 percent margin, though because the state conducts all-mail elections, final results may not be known for days.

But it was the contest in Maine, which would have marked the first time voters approved full marriage rights between same-sex couples, that rankled the most.

“We were heartbroken by the results here in Maine,” said Joe Solomonese, president of the Human Rights Campaign, a gay-rights advocacy group.

Some backers of same-sex marriage faulted the White House for failing to get involved, the latest example in their minds of a strained relationship between the Obama administration and the gay community. The White House released a statement that did not explicitly oppose Question One, and in an appearance last week at the University of Maine, Attorney General Eric Holder also declined to take a position on the measure.

“It would have been incredibly helpful if the president or the administration got involved,” Solomonese said. The campaign made several requests for help from the White House, but was rebuffed.

Still, Solomonese pledged to fight on, calling the battle for same-sex marriage one that will be fought “state by state.” And he said the gay community should recognize that, despite its quibbles with the administration, it is still the most progressive in history on the issue.

“We experience moments of historic victory and great joy, and there are going to continue to be moments where we will be disappointed,” Solomonese said. “Our job, as a community, is to recognize that despite all of that, [Obama] is the best friend we’ve ever had and the strongest ally we’ve ever had.”