Just a brief footnote on the Maine marriage equality vote: State Rep. Sherly Briggs voted against the bill despite the fact that her daughter is a lesbian. There's a lot that might be said about this, but what strikes me most is the reasoning she read into the record:
I have been struggling with this bill for months knowing it is going to come forward … that I'm going to have to choose … I'm so sorry I'm going to hurt my family, friends, citizens of the state of Maine. See, my daughter is gay. I have known this for about 15 years. Throughout all this time, I have kept my personal feelings on this matter separate … She has never ever heard me express my opposition to this in her life … I would never hurt her. I would got to end of the earth for her. But because I feel so strongly about opposed to this bill, blame it on my upbringing or the good book. … I can't change how I feel … But because of who I am and where I am and as a member of this legislative body, ethically it is my duty and responsibility to publicly say to my daughter that I do not support [gay marriage]. I just had to finally confess to her exactly how I feel and now I have no choice.What she's describing, of course, is the experience of coming out of the closet.
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