
PORTLAND, Maine- Voters in Maine have rejected an effort by lawmakers there to impose homosexual marriage in that state.
Gay marriage has now lost in every single state - 31 in all - in  which it has been put to a popular vote. Gay-rights activists had hoped to buck  that trend in Maine - known for its liberal-minded electorate - and mounted an  energetic, well-financed campaign.
With 87 percent of the precincts  reporting, gay-marriage foes had 53 percent of the votes.
"The  institution of marriage has been preserved in Maine and across the nation,"  declared Frank Schubert, chief organizer for the winning  side.
Gay-marriage supporters held out hope that the tide would shift  before conceding defeat at 2:40 a.m. in a statement that insisted they weren't  going away.
"We're in this for the long haul. For next week, and next  month, and next year - until all Maine families are treated equally. Because in  the end, this has always been about love and family and that will always be  something worth fighting for," said Jesse Connolly, manager of the pro-gay  marriage campaign.
At issue was a law passed by the Maine Legislature  last spring that would have legalized same-sex marriage. The law was put on hold  after conservatives launched a petition drive to repeal it in a  referendum.
The outcome Tuesday marked the first time voters had rejected  a gay-marriage law enacted by a legislature. When Californians put a stop to  same-sex marriage a year ago, it was in response to a court ruling, not  legislation.
Five other states have legalized gay marriage _ starting  with Massachusetts in 2004, and followed by Vermont, New Hampshire, Connecticut  and Iowa _ but all did so through legislation or court rulings, not by popular  vote. In contrast, constitutional amendments banning gay marriage have been  approved in all 30 states where they have been on the ballot.