New Commercials to Protect Marriage Equality in Maine

by Michael Jones · 2009-09-03 07:45:00 UTC
Topics:

No on 1

The No on 1 campaign is Maine is hitting the airwaves this morning with two new advertisements to urge Maine voters to vote "NO" on question 1 - the ballot measure that if passed will take away the civil marriage rights of gay and lesbian people in Maine.  These ads tell the story of two people in Maine - Sam Putnam and Bill Whitten.  And their stories showcase just why question 1 needs to go down in flames on Election Day.

Sam Putnam: Student, son of two lesbian moms.  His key message: "[My family] can't be seen as less than.  If you vote NO, you will help change that."

Bill Whitten: Faither, captain of his football and baseball teams.  One of his daughters is straight.  One is gay.  His key message: Everyone should be allowed to live the way they want to live.  Question 1 threatens that very premise.

So which ad hits home more?  Or are both about equal?

My take: I'm so happy to see the Sam Putnam ad, which features actualy gay and lesbian people.  One of the mistakes that the No on 8 folks made in California was not doing that enough.  We are real people, and if Question 1 passes in November, real people will have rights taken away.  Real families will be seen as less than.  Real discrimination will happen to a set of people.

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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