Amos is right, people don't have to vote to grant civil rights--what tends to happen is that referendums on Same-Sex Marriage are initiated by people who oppose various sorts of enabling actions by state and local governments.

Following what Janie says about African-American clergy--in D.C., which is one of the most politically progressive places in the U.S., the coalition of Progressive Liberals and African-American clergy was ripped apart on the issue of Same-Sex marriage, because not withstanding the extreme support Civil Rights issues have always had in the Liberal community, the African-American religious community is reactionary when it comes to Gay Rights.