Among the more high-profile state gubernatorial races on Tuesday, voters in Maine decided to reject a law that would have the state recognize same-sex marriages and allow equal privileges under the law that heterosexual couples enjoy.

Maine becomes the 31^st state to legislatively define marriage and prohibit equal protections based on gender.

Small government activists and civil rights supporters strongly opposed the vote, arguing that the government should not be involved in establishing a definition of marriage and enforcing the moral doctrines of certain individuals and religious tenants onto others.

Many supporters of true liberty and freedom favor the idea of government removing itself entirely from the business of marriage and only supporting the concept of civil unions, where the legal benefits of being married are provided to two consenting adults of legal age.  Marriage, then, is left up to the churches to decide.

The SmallGovTimes.com strongly opposes legislation that defines marriage in any way, at any level – especially at the federal level.  We believe that voters who support legislating the definition of marriage are imposing their views on an entire population (relative to the law’s jurisdiction).  The United States of America is a republic, not a Democracy, and certain unalienable rights (like equal protection under the law) need to be maintained and supported if we are to continue our successful republic.