Help Defeat Maine's Anti-Gay Ballot Initiative on Marriage

by Michael Jones · 2009-08-13 04:11:00 UTC
Topics:

Maine Freedom to Marry

In many ways I guess you could say that Maine is the new California.  Conservative activists - fueled in large part by Maine's Catholic Church - have placed an initiative on the state's ballot that would repeal marriage equality for gay and lesbian couples in Maine.  It's almost like rehashing Proposition 8 all over again.

Except this time, we can win.

Maine Freedom to Marry, the coalition behind stopping this anti-LGBT madness, has just relaunched their Web site and is urging people on all fronts to take the pledge and oppose what in Maine will become known simply as question "1".  Voting yes on question 1 will strip away the civil rights of gays and lesbians to get married in Maine (boo!).  Voting no on quesiton 1 will keep those rights in place (yay!).

What does taking the pledge against 1 mean?  Well, from Maine Freedom to Marry's snazzy new Web site...

On May 6, 2009 Maine ended discrimination in marriage for same-sex couples. This victory was the result of thousands of people who came forward to support marriage for all Maine families. The legislature and Governor followed the people's lead and passed this landmark legislation.

But the fight is not over. Opponents of marriage equality want to turn back the clock. They are working to place a measure on the ballot - modeled after California's Prop 8 - to take away the right of same-sex couples to marry in Maine.

This November, voters will be asked:

"Do you want to reject the new law that lets same-sex couples marry and allows individuals and religious groups to refuse to perform these marriages?"

Answer: Vote NO on 1.

Now I think that's a pledge we can all make.

Michael Jones is a Change.org Editor. He has worked in the field of human rights communications for a decade, most recently for Harvard Law School.
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