Those on both sides of the gay marriage issue in Utah say it's no surprise that voters in Missouri have given overwhelming support to a constitutional ban on gay marriage. Utah voters will decide on a similar measure on Nov. 2.

The Missouri amendment, which defines marriage as a relationship between one man and one woman, passed with 71 percent of the vote Tuesday, according to unofficial results.

"I don't think it's a bellwether for what will happen here," said Scott McCoy, campaign manager of the Don't Amend Alliance, which opposes the proposed amendment.

"Our amendment goes much further. It includes part two, which strips away rights for nontraditional families," McCoy said, referring to a provision in Utah's proposed amendment that would prohibit granting the "same or substantially equivalent legal effect" as marriage to any other relationship.

Gayle Ruzicka, president of Utah Eagle Forum, said Missouri's action could help fuel the developing campaign in support of Utah's proposed amendment.

"Seventy-one percent is excellent," she said. "The people in Utah are just as conservative as the people in Missouri."

In another action Wednesday, a judge in Seattle ruled that gay couples can be married under Washington state law, because denying their right to do so is a violation of their constitutional rights. That decision is stayed until the state's Supreme Court reviews the case.

Of the Washington ruling, Ruzicka said: "People here will be even more determined to have a constitutional amendment too so the (marriage) law will not be ruled unconstitutional. . . . Of course we're worried it could happen here. That's why we're amending the constitution."

McCoy said the idea of "liberal activist judges" in Utah is "almost laughable," noting the state's marriage law has not been challenged by a gay or lesbian couple.

"We're talking about Utah," he said. "The Utah Supreme Court is one of the most conservative in the nation."

Kelly Patterson, director for the Center of Study of Elections and Democracy at Brigham Young University, said both sides could use current events in other states to boost their arguments.

"It's always an argument that supporters can use. Other states are passing this, let's get on the bandwagon and align our laws with those of other states," he said. "It will give the other side a sense of urgency."

He said Don't Amend's argument that Utah's law isn't in danger of a court challenge will be a difficult sell to voters.

"That's part of the reason why the Legislature made this available to the public to change the constitution, to try and avoid some of those issues," he said. "(Don't Amend will) have several points to try to hit home. . . . That's difficult to do on an issue like this."

Missouri's amendment was the first to go before voters since last year's ruling that legalized same-sex marriage in Massachusetts.

Four states — Alaska, Hawaii, Nebraska and Nevada — already ban same-sex marriage in their constitutions.

Voters in Utah, Arkansas, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Montana, Oklahoma and Oregon will vote on a marriage amendment later this year. In Michigan the Secretary of State's office has yet to certify some 475,000 signatures to put an amendment on that state's ballot, far more than the 317,000 needed Initiatives are also pending in North Dakota and Ohio.

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E-mail: dbulkeley@desnews.com