Governor of Maine Signs Gay Rights Bill

http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,1280,-4906031,00.html

Governor of Maine Signs Gay Rights Bill

Friday April 1, 2005 4:01 AM


By GLENN ADAMS

Associated Press Writer

AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) - Gov. John Baldacci on Thursday signed legislation that protects gays and lesbians from discrimination. Within hours, a religious group launched a campaign to overturn the new law.

``This act not only offers essential civil rights, but serves as a welcome,'' the Democratic governor told supporters who packed the State House Cabinet Room. ``Our doors are open to all people. This is a proud day for Maine.''

The law, which received final House and Senate passage Wednesday night, takes effect in late June.

The measure amends the Maine Human Rights Act by making discrimination illegal in employment, housing, credit, public accommodations and education based on sexual orientation or gender. Maine law now prohibits discrimination based on race, color, sex, disability, religion, ancestry and national origin.

..more..

Should have read:
"Within hours, a religious hate group launched a campaign to overturn the new law."

"A superstition based hate group ..."

Sorry ... I've been reading Alternet.

http://alternet.org/story/21641/

It really articulated what I have felt since I was 9 years old.

The NE is such a nice part of this country. With states like Vermont, Massachussetts, and Maine. Wouldn't it be great if the rest of the country could take some lessons.....

REAL family values--way lower divorce rates than the red states!!!

on those petitions. Every signature. Hire more staff if need be. So much as an un-dotted i or an un-crossed t or an illegible name, and that signature is GONE!

:toast:

Score one for life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. :)

http://www.state.me.us/ethics/MCEA.htm

The Maine Clean Election Act

The Maine Clean Election Act (MCEA) established a voluntary program of full public financing of political campaigns for candidates running for Governor, State Senator, and State Representative. Maine voters passed the MCEA as a citizen initiative in 1996. Candidates who choose to participate may accept very limited private contributions at the beginning of their campaigns (seed money contributions). To become eligible, candidates must demonstrate community support through collecting a minimum number of $5 checks or money orders payable to the Maine Clean Election Fund (qualifying contributions). After a candidate begins to receive MCEA funds from the State, he or she cannot accept private contributions, and almost all goods and services received must be paid for with MCEA funds.

For more detailed information, please read A Candidate's Guide to the Maine Clean Election Act, the Maine Clean Election Act statute, and Chapter 3 of the Ethics Commission Rules.

...please ask these evangelical freaks who are opposed to this bill what is so wrong with making discrimination against gays illegal?

They are facing down the forces of hate and showing the way out of the darkness. May they be followed by the less-enlightened!
:toast:

Edited to add: I hope you also post this in the GLBT Forum!

I'd say they know which side their bread is buttered on.

So I guess Maine's bread is buttered in Massachusetts?

Maine was part of Massachusetts. When they split, though, Massachusetts kept P town, and the rest of the Cape as well!

Massachusetts was once a part of Maine :P

During the Revolutionary War, and beyond.

See here: http://www.waterborolibrary.org/histme.htm as well as here: http://www.mainehistory.org/edu_facts.shtml

Maine’s
Beginnings
Maine was a part of Massachusetts until
1820, when it separated and became its own state.
Geographically separated from Massachusetts, it
was difficult and expensive for Maine to send
representatives to the state government in Boston.
Massachusetts’ laws on trade and taxes seemed
unfair to many residents of Maine. Because of the
geographical distance and lack of representation in
state government by Mainers; important Maine
issues were receiving very little attention in
Boston.
As early as 1770, some Mainers began a
movement towards separating from Massachusetts.
Politicians across Maine began giving speeches on
the advantages of separation from Massachusetts.
They said that Maine would be able to run a
cheaper and more simple government than
Massachusetts.
The question of statehood was a
controversial one. Starting in 1780, Mainers were
asked, by way of vote, if they wanted to be their
own state. Economic issues of trade along the
coast and political differences between Federalists
and Democrats were among the reasons for failure
of the movement,. The fifth time the issue of
statehood was brought to a vote, in 1819, it passed.
However, Maine was still a part of
Massachusetts and the vote in the form of a bill
needed to pass the state legislature in
Massachusetts. With wounded pride, the
Massachusetts legislature passed the bill for
Maine’s statehood in late 1819. Attached to the
bill was a deadline. The attachment said that the
United States Congress and the President had to
pass a bill for Maine statehood before March 4,
1820 or Maine would remain a part of
Massachusettes.
Maine sent its bill for statehood to
Congress in December of 1819. At the same
time Missouri applied for statehood. Missouri
was home to many slave owners and Maine had
no slave owners. Politicians in Washington saw
this as an opportunity to debate not only
statehood and states’ rights, but also the issue of
slavery. The requests for statehood were put
together and presented to Congress as “a
package”. Maine in its quest for statehood was
suddenly in the midst of a national controversy.
Congressmen from all over the country were
taking sides and trying to decide if slavery should
be outlawed or if states should be given the
chance to decide the issue for themselves.
Many Mainers were abolitionists and
were very upset that the issue of Maine’s
statehood was now caught up in the issue of
slavery. Harriet Beecher Stowe, dubbed by
President Lincoln as “the little lady who started
the big war,” was living in Maine when she
began writing Uncle Tom’s Cabin. Maine’s
favorite son, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow was
also an abolitionist. Longfellow’s poem “Paul
Revere’s Ride” is a call to citizens to rise up
against slavery in the spirit of the Revolutionary
War.
The question over statehood had changed
to an issue of federal versus state control.
Politicians believing in state control wanted
Missouri to have the right to decide whether
slavery should be allowed. Politicians believing
in federal power wanted slavery abolished and
did not want Missouri to have the right to decide.
This issue of federal versus state control went
back and forth between the House of
Representatives and the Senate many times.
Meanwhile, the deadline imposed by
Massachusetts, attached to Maine’s appeal for
statehood, was drawing near.
In late February 1820, the bill for Maine
statehood passed both houses of Congress
without being attached to the Missouri bill. It
was then sent to the President for approval. On
March 3, 1820, the President signed the bill...

;)

We like gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered people, here. And our governer has actually requested that lawmakers come up with a bill like this one--and the one in Ilinois--so he can proudly sign it.

We have been trying to get this passed for a long time! I am so happy that a majority of the legislature finally did the right thing :)

out of touch with moderate Americans just took a hit. There are blue-state moderates and there are red-state moderates; there's a big difference between the two groups, I expect.

I joined many standing in support of the new bill.

The Christian Civic League (and they're really not Christian nor Civic at all) wants this law repealed because it "opens the door to gay marriage". It's not about marriage at all. In fact, an amendment to the bill specifically states that.

I was watching all the MALES (it was very obviously lacking in female representation) standing up on behalf of the citizens' veto. I can't for the life of me figure out what part of this antidiscrimination bill threathens them.

They plan to raise over $2 million for their efforts. How much food and clothing for their poor congregations would this money buy?

those evil males...

they're so evil

It is relevant to point out that it was mainly males supporting the veto. Some believe that homophobia is really another form of sexism. Consider that gay men are referred to as "effeminate", girlie men etc. Just as it was relevant to point out when a group of men make some anti-choice legislation it's relevant here.

By the way, I love most guys. It's these hate legislators that burn me up.

Im sure you have lots of friends who are men.

I'm not gonna play though. Sending you good vibes anyway darboy.

:)



just don't expect me not to chime in with my 2 cents when you decide to link gender with evil.

The lack of women was obvious to all in my group.

I've been married for over 30 years and my husband and I don't feel threatened by gay marriage, equal rights, or anything like that. I don't know what these men (and, yes, there were some women in the crowd - just not part of the "pastors" on display) are so worried about.

It's the same thing as the picture of Bush signing the (forgive me) partial birth abortion bill. All those y chromosomes in the background deciding for women.

seriously, my spouse was looking on the internet yesterday at the jobs there. We live in the south and desperately want to get out. We've heard so many good things about Maine. Could you give me some more information?

We damn well better celebrate that one--we have an evil DUer who is an elected representative out there in the Maine House...

Woo-Hoo! You ROCK, MaineMary!


Laura

Sadly. We lost her seat to a Republican. :(

That is a shame, but I aso understand how difficult it is to do all that she does PLUS be an elected official.


Laura

JUST KIDDING! Geeze...
:toast: to Maine.

Of course the right wing attention whores had to chime in.

"Look at me! Look at me! I can't stop thinking about gay sex! look at me!!," thus spake the right wing attention whore.