Chair Of Ohio's Freedom To Marry Coalition Steps Down
The effort to repeal Ohio's gay marriage ban hit a snag today after Tim Hagan, chair of the Buckeye State's Freedom to Marry Coalition, stepped down due to lack of support from the national, unrelated group Freedom to Marry and other high profile LGBT organizations.
On Top Magazine offers more information:
Three established gay rights groups appear to be steering clear of the effort, each saying the timing isn't right.
Freedom to Marry, the nation's largest group devoted to the issue of marriage equality, told the Gay People's Chronicle that it is not behind the effort.
“Ballot measures are expensive and we need to do years of groundwork, hit benchmarks, and get the state to where we can win,” said Marc Solomon, national campaign director for Freedom to Marry. “Getting to the ballot is the last step. It should never be the first step.”
Ohio Public Radio reported that the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), the nation's largest gay rights advocate, has said it also was withholding its endorsement.
Ed Mullen, executive director for Equality Ohio, the state's largest gay rights advocate, told The Columbus Dispatch that sufficient “research and analysis has not been done that would make this a successful effort.”
"Because there's not a unified voice, certainly among the gay community, we need to take a step back and make sure everybody is singing from the same hymnal," Hagan said of his decision.
Despite the dearth of support, Freedom to Marry did succeed last week in winning approval from the state's Ballot Board to move ahead on a proposed amendment legalizing same-sex nuptials there. They now have to collect about 385,000 signatures from half of Ohio's 88 counties to get the measure on next year's ballot, and organizers promise they're up for the challenge.
The National gay orgs have a policy of "hurry up and wait" as well as dictating from the top down what efforts should be done at the state level. Meanwhile all their leaders (HRC, etc.) make very nice salaries and live in their lavender towers.
Posted by: QJ201 | Apr 12, 2012 11:41:05 AM
The national Freedom to Marry organization is as f*cked up as it's Ohio chapter! Going to the ballot should never be an option! Voting up or down on Constitutional Rights is an invitation to disaster with repercussions that go far beyond marriage equality.
Posted by: Stuffed Animal | Apr 12, 2012 12:15:36 PM
I'm so glad that stuffed animal thinks the Ohio LGBT community should give up. Stuffed animal might want to do a google check and find out that Ohio isn't in the same spot as Maryland NC Maine NY etc... and actually has a full constiutional ban. Stuffed animal might want to look at the path in the courts and how the court is not likely to rule on a marriage case until the majority of states back it. Stuffed animal might want to look up the fact that a majority of states have constitutional bans meaning to overturn that ban it has to be voted on. Stuffed animal might want to STFU about how to move forward in states stuffed animal knows nothing about.
Posted by: Mark | Apr 12, 2012 1:11:34 PM
The same thing happened in New Hampshire, where the National FTM group defunded the state groups.
Local groups do know more than National.
It's time for Wolfson to go!
Posted by: Putney Swope | Apr 13, 2012 12:13:05 AM
I see where STUFFED is coming from, BUT, look at Maine. SOOOOO close last time, so VERY close ! And it's coming up for a vote again, this time with even more determination, even more allies, even more people have changed their minds and hearts. Every attempt is an opportunity to educate people. Sure, this is about our rights, but lets not forget for one moment what the broader implications are for EVERYONE involved. THEY believe things about us that are not true, horrible things, ugly things. It's out job to prove to them that they are wrong. Ohio is HUGE, we shouldn't be afraid to try, THAT never got us ANYWHERE int he past, and is no way to plan for a future !
Posted by: NVTodd | Apr 13, 2012 6:29:51 AM