When 2004 Democrat presidential nominee [[John Kerry]]'s home state of Massachusetts' became the first state to legalize [[same-sex marriage]], the issue split Democrats. Ballot initiatives appeared in 11 states that brought citizens to the polls in large numbers; all 11 initiatives passed. [[Proposition 8]] in [[California]] won by a wide popular vote, but California Attorney General [[Kamala Harris]] bowed to [[LGBT]] groups and refused to defend the citizen referendum in court. These debates over social policy were reflected in the 2005 campaign for Chairman of the [[Democratic National Committee]], which [[Howard Dean]] won. As a progressive, Dean was the first to shepherd civil unions through the [[Vermont]] legislature. | When 2004 Democrat presidential nominee [[John Kerry]]'s home state of Massachusetts' became the first state to legalize [[same-sex marriage]], the issue split Democrats. Ballot initiatives appeared in 11 states that brought citizens to the polls in large numbers; all 11 initiatives passed. [[Proposition 8]] in [[California]] won by a wide popular vote, but California Attorney General [[Kamala Harris]] bowed to [[LGBT]] groups and refused to defend the citizen referendum in court. These debates over social policy were reflected in the 2005 campaign for Chairman of the [[Democratic National Committee]], which [[Howard Dean]] won. As a progressive, Dean was the first to shepherd civil unions through the [[Vermont]] legislature. |