BANGOR (AP) – A push for gay marriage in Maine may be inevitable, but a campaign is still a long way off in the state, say gay rights advocates and some political observers.

Maine voters defeated a proposal to repeal the state’s gay rights law on Nov. 8. The referendum push was led by groups that see the anti-discrimination law as a step toward gay marriage.

Betsy Smith of Equality Maine, which supports gay rights, said her group considers marriage equality a “long-term goal,” perhaps stretching out over five to 10 years. But she has said the issue would not be advanced in the context of the gay rights vote.

“All of (Christian Civic League of Maine executive director) Michael Heath’s speculation about how we’re suddenly going to be knocking on the door of the Legislature is just not realistic,” Smith said. “But that doesn’t mean we won’t begin educating the Legislature and the voters why all Maine families deserve the same rights.”

The law to outlaw discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation does not mention states specifically it does not have anything to do with marriage. Maine has a statute defining marriage as between one man and one woman.

Political scientist Jim Melcher of the University of Maine at Farmington said that politically speaking, it would be wise for gay marriage supporters to let the idea gay rights “sink in for a while.”

Tim Russell, legislative liaison for the civic league, believes that because of the gay rights vote he expects to see the marriage issue come up sooner rather than later.

“All it takes is one gay or lesbian couple to bring a lawsuit demanding that their civil right to marry be acknowledged,” Russell said.

Massachusetts is the only state that grants full marriage benefits to same-sex couples. Connecticut and Vermont offer civil unions. Maine has a registry for domestic partnerships, but they do not create marriages between couples.

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