Wednesday, November 06, 2002
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal

QUESTION 2: Same-sex marriage ban wins for second time

Constitutional question required approval in two consecutive elections

CARSON CITY -- Although the vote was slightly closer than two years ago, Nevadans still overwhelmingly adopted a constitutional ban Tuesday on same-sex marriages.

Nearly complete returns statewide showed 67 percent of voters backing Question 2, with 33 percent opposing the ballot initiative. Complete returns in Clark County showed 68 percent of the voters backed the initiative, while 32 percent opposed it.

The proposal needed voter approval in two consecutive elections to become effective. In 2000, nearly 70 percent of voters approved Question 2.

Though Nevada already has a law stating that only men and women may marry, members of the Coalition for the Protection of Marriage said a constitutional ban would offer greater protection. Vermont permits civil unions between gay and lesbian couples, and backers of the question argued Nevada might have to honor those marriages.

With a constitutional prohibition on gay marriage, coalition Chairman Richard Ziser said the state could better defend itself if Vermont-wed couples sought legal protections in Nevada.

Richard Schlegel, executive director of Equal Rights Nevada, was disappointed that opponents did not secure at least 40 percent of the vote. His organization said Question 2 is blatantly discriminatory toward gays.

"The vote isn't surprising since the coalition distributed so much misleading material in the final days," Schlegel said. "Nonetheless, we still educated a lot of people about Question 2."

Gary Peck, state director of the American Civil Liberties Union, said he was disappointed with the results, but said he will try to secure approval in the Legislature for legal rights of people regardless of their sexual orientation. In particular, he and Schlegel want hospital visitation rights for same-sex partners.

"Since they have gotten the protection of marriage they needed, I would expect them to join us in the fight to win legal protection for every Nevadan," Peck said.

Some voters said they had a hard time making up their minds on Question 2.

Mary Ann Matthews, a 51-year-old Democrat who moved to Southern Nevada from Washington, D.C., seven years ago, said she went back and forth before voting yes.

"I changed my mind three different times," she said. "I wanted to be real nice and vote the liberal way. But I kept thinking about it and thinking about it and, in the end, I turned around and voted conservatively."

Review-Journal staff writer Richard Lake contributed to this report.