A live televised debate on same-sex marriage drew 500 people to the Hannaford Lecture Hall Wednesday evening.
The topic was Question 1, the referendum question that would strike down legislation passed last spring legalizing gay marriage.
The debate between Brian Souchet of Yes On 1 – Stand For Marriage Maine and Mary Bonauto of No On 1 was moderated by Shannon Moss of WMTW – Channel 8. The representatives fielded questions from Matt Wickenheiser of the Portland Press Herald/Maine Sunday Telegram and Susan Cover of the Kennebec Journal, as well as questions submitted by audience members before the debate. Two people asked questions that were pre-recorded and shown on a large projection screen on the stage.
Emotions ran high in the hall, where a sea of red-clad No On 1 supporters chanted and cheered before and after the broadcast. Shannon Moss had to stifle applause twice during the debate, which lasted an hour.
The debate covered a wide swath of topics, from the Defense of Marriage Act of 1996 to the effect of the passing of similar gay marriage laws in other states.
Souchet stuck to a simple message, often coming back his assertion of marriage being "an institution that brings together the two halves of humanity" for the purposes of procreation. A man has a biological function as a father, and a woman as a mother, he said.
Bonauto — who has been in a relationship with her female partner for 22 years — maintained marriage is civil right that should be afforded to all people.
"Parents’ love for their children and children’s love for their parents is essential," she said. "I can’t imagine me marrying my partner is going to make Brian’s relationship with his wife and children irrelevant."
The debate will be replayed by WMTW at 7 am on Sunday morning.
The small handful of Yes On 1 supporters were outnumbered by a crowd of several dozen sign-waving No On One supporters chanted "No on one" in the drizzle outside of the hall before the event.
"Most of the Yes On 1 supporters were not so inclined to come out and protest," Souchet said after the debate. "This is a college campus, so I would expect more No On One."
Three campus police officers were on hand in case the crowd got out of control, but they reported no incidents.