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Morning News

Backlash in Vermont Over Union of Gay Marriage

Aired September 12, 2000 - 10:10 a.m. ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: The changing colors of autumn often draw tourists in the state of Vermont. But this year, all eyes are on a possible changing of the guard.

As CNN's Bill Delaney now explains, the union of gay marriage is causing a split in the political landscape.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BILL DELANEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): On back roads all over Vermont, backlash. No more mere comfortable clusters of cow and serene vistas of mountain and sky. These days, in Vermont, even the trees have gotten political.

As few know better than grandmother, travel agent, and third-term state representative, Marion Milne, who ran unopposed last time, but now faces defeat in Tuesday's Republican primary for voting for civil unions, which confer marriage benefits on gay and lesbian couples.

REP. MARION MILNE (R), VERMONT STATE HOUSE: It does hurt, yes. It hurts very much.

DELANEY: Her signs have been torn down. Some supporters have been too afraid to put a sign up at all.

MILNE: I think that's very sad.

DELANEY: Even Vermont's once seemingly shoo-in governor, Democrat Howard Dean, could lose in November, largely because of his support for civil unions.

(on camera): The "Take Back Vermont" movement has no one leader, no one on a payroll. Starting with a few signs, put up in July, when the first civil unions were performed, the plan was to just leave those signs up for a week or two.

(voice-over): Instead, like at this Labor Day parade in the town of Northfield, the movement has taken on a life of its own.

NEAL LABORNE, "TAKE BACK VERMONT": The other side keeps calling us homophobic and keeps calling us bigoted, when we're not.

Do I think that it's hate that's driving it?

No, because the normal people that are part of who I know in "Take Back Vermont" are not like that.

DELANEY: Political novice Sylvia Kennedy, who's challenging Marion Milne, does say, as an evangelical Christian, she considers homosexuality an abomination.

SYLVIA KENNEDY, REPUBLICAN PRIMARY CANDIDATE: We've opened a can of worms by creating legislation for a small minority of people.

DELANEY: A small minority, though, now expected to inspire a record turnout in Vermont's usually sleepy primary.

Bill Delaney, CNN, Washington, Vermont.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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