ABSTRACT
When this book was initially visualized, the goal was to contrast a state that could win a ballot measure with one that would most likely not win such a vote. Two states were chosen: Minnesota and North Carolina. Minnesota was chosen because the Minnesota legislature had passed a bill that would put into the state constitution language that would limit marriage to an arrangement that included only a man and a woman. ere was no prohibition upon other types of relationships (e.g., civil unions and domestic partnerships). In 1993, Minnesota had included language in its laws that provided human rights protection to lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people. One signicant result of the passage of the human rights protection was that the state had had years to develop a supportive statewide infrastructure. e result of this was the immediate development of a coalition called “Minnesotans United for All Families,” once the constitutional amendment proposal was passed by the legislature. is coalition included well over 600 signatory organizations from all over the state. It became a fund-raising eort that raised very large amounts of money, and designed innovative internet and television ads that challenged the message that had won elections in other states.
