Vermont lawmakers who helped pass the state’s Civil Union law for gay and lesbian couples are experiencing a surprising and painful backlash from some of their constituents. Gov. Howard Dean (D), who signed the law, has seen his support plummet, and State Rep. Marion Milne (R), who supported the law last spring, has lost friends, customers, and supporters. She has also been the subject of anti-gay slurs. Milne was disturbed by the anti-gay statement and shocked at her constituents’ anger over her support of the law.
In the upcoming GOP primary, Sylvia Kennedy, a friend of Milne’s, will challenger her for the House seat. Kennedy objected to Milne’s support of the Civil Union law saying, “I just feel that voting her conscience was just uncalled for. As a Christian, I’ve been brought up to believe [homosexuality] is an immoral issue. It isn’t a civil right. They don’t have something about them that can’t be changed like black people. They were born with black skin.” Fifty-four percent of polled registered voters opposed the law, and 49 percent said it would affect their votes in the fall.
