Documentary follows Maine same-sex marriage amendment campaign

As Minnesotans gear up for a vote this November on the amendment defining marriage as between one man and one woman, a documentary being screened at the Mall of America looks back at the same-sex marriage amendment campaign in Maine three years ago.

The movie, "Question One," will be at the Mall of America theater through Saturday.

After Maine lawmakers approved same-sex marriage in May of 2009, a referendum was put on the ballot in November that reversed that move.

The film's director, Joe Fox, has a background in print journalism. He's spent the past few years making documentaries for non-profits. His goal with this movie was to fairly tell both sides of the story in a way that really captured the personal connections to the same sex marriage issue, he said.

"I wanted to tell a story that explored the humanity of this issue, and to tell the story of the people who were intimately involved with this issue - to tell a personal story about the ordinary people who were caught up in the fight of their lives," Fox said.

Chuck Darrell, a spokesman for Minnesota for Marriage, called the movie a "so-called documentary" in a statement, adding it was "produced by a gay activist and is an attempt to portray the campaign in a negative light."

Minnesota for Marriage is a group that is pushing for voters to approve the referendum here in Minnesota that would define marriage as between a man and a woman.

"The real issue in Minnesota and every other state has nothing to do with who may be working on the campaign; it's about the proper definition of marriage for society," Darrell said.

Fox said he is in favor of same-sex marriage and his sexual orientation forms his personal opinion on same sex marriage, but he feels he was able to connect with opponents of gay marriage in one way: They have all felt marginalized. Growing up gay, Jewish and adopted, Fox said "it took me a long time to find my voice."

"And the common thread for [opponents of gay marriage] was they were finding their voices weren't being heard, either," he said. "They felt they were caught up in a world that's gone mad, and their leaders weren't listening to their voices...That's how I connected, through my own sense of alienation growing up."