Update: According to the networks the Virginia marriage ban will pass. The latest results show 57% in favor. I’ll rehash what happened and why when more numbers are in. But one thing that’s clear is that the campaign to defeat the ban WAS winnable. The ban is THE most extreme amendment ever presented to voters. It not only bans same-sex marriage but also forbids the recognition of any legal status that “intends to approximate the design, qualities, significance, or effects of marriage.”
Unfortunately, the campaign didn’t receive the best support. Many gay organizations gave up early (polls from a year out showed around 58% in favor, but many were moveable). Labor was slow to sign on. And not one of Virginia’s Fortune 500 companies headquartered in Virginia (and there are many including AOL Time Warner, MCI Sprint and US Airways) came out against the amendment — even though ALL of them provide domestic partnership benefits and have employment non-discrimination policies.
