BY SUSAN M. COVER

Staff Writer

Supporters of same-sex marriage vowed to continue the fight Wednesday, hours after accepting defeat at the ballot box.

Sharing hugs and tears, about 200 supporters of same-sex marriage gathered on the steps of City Hall in Portland to say they would continue the effort as long as it's necessary.

A law allowing gay and lesbian people to marry was repealed Tuesday, with 53 percent of voters rejecting it.

"Are we disappointed? Yes. We feel deeply what happened to us last night," said Pat Peard, a longtime champion of gay rights.

She thanked the 250,000 or so Mainers who voted to retain the law.

"I assure you that we are going to build in the future to a bigger number," Peard told the crowd. "We will win this issue."

In what appears to be record numbers for an off-year election, Maine voters made it clear Tuesday they do not support expanding the definition of marriage in Maine to include same-sex couples.

Peard and other leaders did not discuss specific plans but said they hope to continue the dialogue with Maine residents that began years ago.

In a statement issued later in the afternoon, supporters said those efforts would include "statewide public education" such as a family story book and a project that encourages parents to talk to other parents about equality.

Also, the groups -- which included EqualityMaine and the Maine Civil Liberties Union -- said they would work with supportive religious leaders to organize presentations to various groups.

Beyond education, supporters can bring a bill back to the Legislature in 2011, or pursue court action. The timing and method would depend in large part on who gets elected governor next year, and whether the Legislature continues to be in Democratic hands.

Sen. Peter Mills, R-Cornville, said he feels it was a mistake not to send the issue directly to voters.

Mills, who is running for governor, voted in favor of the legislation.

"They really couldn't afford to lose this and they did," he said. "I can't see it coming back for a long time."

The 2010 election is also important for those who oppose same-sex marriage and want to tighten Maine law even further by introducing a constitutional amendment to ban it.

Charla Bansley, of Concerned Women for America of Maine, said once they see who wins the round of legislative races that year, they will look for a sponsor for such an amendment.

"I think people get it," she said. "I think people understand marriage is one man and one woman. It's the bedrock of our society."

Thirty states already ban same-sex marriage in their constitutions. On the flip side, the New Hampshire and Vermont legislatures have approved gay marriage, while Massachusetts, Iowa and Connecticut courts have extended marriage rights to same-sex couples.

The Rev. Bob Emrich, Yes on 1 organizer, said he doubts the Maine Legislature -- which supported same-sex marriage by a healthy margin -- will be anxious to take up the issue again, given Tuesday's vote.

"A lot of the energy in this was driven by the fact that people felt betrayed by the Legislature," he said. "It was very controversial with the average citizen."

He said revisiting the issue soon would "be a real mistake."

"I don't know anyone who wants to go through this again," he said.

Earlier this year, advocates brought forward legislation to expand the definition of marriage to include gay and lesbian couples. The Maine House and Senate approved the bill. Gov. John Baldacci signed it in May.

The next day, a coalition that included the Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland and evangelical Christians started work to get the signatures necessary for Tuesday's people's veto vote.

Although early results showed a close race, by midnight it was clear the veto effort would be successful. The Yes on 1 campaign declared victory about 12:30 a.m., and the No on 1 campaign conceded defeat just after 2:30 a.m.

While Mainers voted to overturn a law put in place by legislators, voters in Washington state appear to have supported a measure that became known as "everything but marriage," an expansion of that state's domestic partnership registry.

From the outset, however, Maine's gay-marriage advocates said they would not accept anything but full marriage.

Mary Bonauto, a lawyer and gay advocate who helped run the campaign, said many people are hurting, including couples who have spent decades in committed same-sex relationships.

"Here we are in a civil-rights struggle, and what do we do in civil rights struggles? We pick ourselves up and we stay the course," Bonauto said.

Portland Press Herald Staff Writer Trevor Maxwell contributed to this story.

Susan Cover -- 620-7015

scover@centralmaine.com