THANK YOU for publishing Jeff Jacoby’s Nov. 11. op-ed column “Wedded to vitriol, backers of gay marriage stumble.’’ As a supporter of marriage between a man and a woman, I know the vitriol of many same-sex marriage proponents. Maine newspapers repeatedly published articles where these proponents were quoted as calling us racists, bigots, and haters. The extreme same-sex advocates promoted a tolerance for differences that only extended to those on their side and never to those who upheld traditional marriage. They often called for people of faith not to bring their religious values into the public square, but welcomed support from liberal Protestant leaders.
The majority of Mainers support civil rights for same-sex couples, but want to keep marriage between one man and one woman. Marriage is not about equality. Marriage is the union of a man and a woman. Mainers, like the majority of citizens who have voted on this issue, value marriage between a man and a woman because, as an institution, it is one of the key foundations of our culture, state, and nation.
Debra Wagner
Lisbon Falls, Maine 
