Gay marriage ban: An Arizona victory would be a landmark

By Diane Silver

The Arizona media don't seem to be ready to declare that the same-sex marriage ban is going down to defeat in their state. I'll bow to their collective wisdom and hold off on doing my celebration dance, but it is looking very good right now.

The Arizona Republic reports:

With 96 percent of the polls reporting, 48.6 percent have voted for while 51.4 percent are voting against the proposition.

The significance of this is huge. Last year when we fought the marriage ban in Kansas, we spent a lot of time with folks from national gay rights organizations. The most optimistic estimate I heard from them about when we might win even one victory in this fight was five years.

If Arizona holds on to defeat this horrible proposal, that five-year mark will have been shattered.

For the sake of the nation and the people of Arizona, let's hope that happens. The Arizona constitutional ban, like the one in Kansas, is designed to hurt families. It not only bans same-sex marriage, but also prohibits government from recognizing civil unions or domestic partnerships.