Five Races to Watch This Election Day Regarding LGBT Rights

by Michael A. Jones, change.org

Off-year election cycles usually don't have the same high pitch drama as their big brother and sister -- mid-term elections and Presidential year elections. But Election Day 2009 is shaping up as a year where, at least in regards to LGBT rights, a lot is at stake.

From marriage to domestic partnership benefits to anti-discrimination ordinances, there's a hefty amount of LGBT rights issues that will be determined today, based on how folks from Maine to Washington state vote. Below are our five races to watch this Election Day. And though it's kind of cliche to say that history will be made at the ballot box today (cue the "Duh!" comments), today's vote really has the chance to uproot a legacy of bigotry at the ballot box.

Maine and Marriage Equality: This one has the eyes and ears and hearts and minds of the entire movement behind it, simply for this reason: if Maine voters reject Question 1 today, Maine will become the first state that has ever approved marriage equality for gay and lesbian couples at the ballot box. More than 30 states have put same-sex marriage on a ballot, and each time same-sex marriage has lost. But that all could change today. The No on 1 campaign has been, in many respects, brilliant. They've got a superior ground game, great advertisements, and the most authentic, heartfelt supporters around. The race is tight, and the opposition is flush with cash and national in scope. This one is going to come down to the wire, and it's all about who has the better field game at this point.

Washington and Referrendum 71: At the polar opposite end of the geographic spectrum, Washington state has its own ballot question where voters will get to decide whether to approve Referrendum 71 or not. Unlike Maine, where a "NO" vote is a victory, here a "YES" vote is critical. If approved, Referrnedum 71 will enact a series of domestic partnership benefits for lesbian and gay couples in the state that are wide in scope. They're not full marriage rights, of course, but they are certainly a step in the equal rights direction. Polls show Referrendum 71 winning slightly.

Kalamazoo's Anti-Discrimination Ordinance: Earlier this year, the Kalamazoo City Council unaninmously approved a resolution outlawing discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity in regards to public housing, accommodations and employment. Seems like a no-brainer, but it didn't stop a group of anti-LGBT residents from placing a repeal measure on the ballot. Today, Kalamazoo voters will hit the polls to decide whether to repeal Ordinance 1856 or keep it. Yeah, that's the technical name for it, but really here's the question Kalamazoo voters will face: "Would you like to keep Kalamazoo a city free of discrimination, where LGBT people have the right to eat in a restaurant, stay in a hotel, or not be fired from their job, simply because of their sexual orientation or gender identity?"

The Governor's Race in New Jersey: This race is as close as it can get, with polls out yesterday that said Democratic candidate Jon Corzine was ahead, and other polls saying that GOP nominee Chris Christie was ahead. This race matters for the future of marriage equality in the Garden State. Jon Corzine has said that if re-elected, he will fight to pass marriage equality in the state and make New Jersey the next in line to recognize full marriage rights for lesbians and gays. Chris Christie? He thinks there's something wrong with homosexuality. Enough said on this race. As President Obama said earlier this weekend, "If New Jersey voters vote like they did last year, then Jon Corzine wins."

Houston's Mayoral Race: Lots of cities are having mayoral elections this year, from Boston to New York to Houston, Texas, where the fourth largest city in the country could make history by becoming the largest U.S. city to elect an openly lesbian mayor. Her name is Annise Parker, and she's in a tight three-way race that is likely heading toward a run-off for the top two candidates. Parker has made it a priority to be open about her sexuality, saying to the New York Times, "I always told voters the truth. There is an element of, ‘Well, if she will tell us the truth about her sexual orientation she will tell us the truth about anything.'" Parker has also been elected citywide several times.

We'll be blogging later tonight about many of the results that come in, hoping like hell that marriage in Maine, domestic partnership benefits in Washington state, and the anti-discrimination ordinance in Kalamazoo all stay realities.

(Photo courtesy of Theresa Thompson's photostream on Flickr.)