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Two high-ranking elected Vermont officials came out in public support of same-gender marriage last month.
The pronouncements from Lieutenant Governor Doug Racine and Michael Obuchowski, Speaker of the Vermont House of Representatives, came on the heels of a bulk-mail campaign from Citizens for Community Values.
The Ohio organization paid for a flyer to be sent from Hawaii to every household in Vermont at an estimated cost of $40,000.
The message, which outlines supposed dangers inherent in allowing same-gender marriage, was signed by Mike Gabbard, a high-profile Hawaii anti-gay activist. In addition to Gabbard's, the names of 10 Hawaiian state legislators appear on the flyer, giving the impression that it was endorsed by a broad spectrum of people.
But sources in Hawaii say that at least one of those senators was misled into having his name added to the missive. Senator Jonathon Chun thought he was adding his name to a letter being sent to Vermont legislators urging them "not to use hate and hyperbole when discussing gay-related issues."
Among other things, the letter warns about large amounts of out-of-state money gay rights activists might drop on Vermont in order to support the freedom-to-marry movement. He told reporters that the letter "will make people more aware of this issue, and hopefully spark some interest with a grassroots effort. That's how we won in Hawaii."
The letter neglects to mention the seven-figure sum of contributions from national religious and fundamentalist groups that figured significantly in the Hawaii decision.
