Maine Activists Return Marriage To Ballot

Three years after a never-enacted marriage equality law was repealed at the ballot box, Maine's activists will attempt to repeal the repeal. Via press release:

Today, advocates for allowing same-sex couples to legally marry in Maine announced plans for a Citizens Initiative to enact a marriage equality law, delivering more than 105,000 signatures from Maine voters who want the issue on the November 2012 ballot to the Secretary of State's office. The announcement follows two years of outreach and conversations with Mainers about the freedom to marry, statewide polling showing steadily increasing support for allowing same-sex couples to marry - which now stands at 54 percent - and intensive field organizing in preparation for the campaign. "The number of signatures we gathered and the thoughtful conversations we've been having with voters tell us that Mainers are eager to speak on this question again," said Betsy Smith, executive director of EqualityMaine. "Our polling shows a 54% majority of support for same-sex marriage in Maine. Many Mainers have changed their minds and want a chance to bring equality and fairness to our state."

Will Maine Become The First State To Win A Pro-Gay Marriage Ballot Measure?

Activists in Maine report that they've got more than double the required signatures to place same-sex marriage on the November ballot. On January 23rd Equality Maine will announce whether they'll do so.

The goal is to avoid a demoralizing repeat of 2009, Smith said. Voters rejected, by a margin of 53 percent to 47 percent, a same-sex marriage law passed by legislators led by Democrats and signed by then-Governor John Baldacci, also a Democrat. In 2010, Republicans won control of both legislative chambers and the governor’s office for the first time since 1966. Advocates for changing the law have sought to build support by knocking on 100,000 doors around the state and collecting signatures to get the issue on the ballot, Smith said. A presidential election, which attracts more young voters who tend to support same-sex marriage, may make it easier to win passage, she said. “All this leads us to believe that 2012 is a very different year for us than 2009,” Smith said. “Until we finally win marriage at the ballot, opponents will always claim that marriage is supported only by the courts and legislatures, but not by the people.”

Maine Has The Marriage Signatures

Maine's activists have raised almost twice the required petition signatures to place marriage equality on the 2012 ballot. In 2009 the state legislature approved same-sex marriage, but that action was undone by the fascist criminals at NOM, who immediately launched their successful repeal campaign. No gay marriages ever took place in Maine.

"Not only were we incredibly successful at gathering signatures at the polls today, but volunteers all over the state met voters who have changed their minds on this issue in the last two years," said Betsy Smith, EqualityMaine Executive Director. EqualityMaine filled more than 500 volunteer shifts, from Aroostook to York County and many places in between. The enthusiasm was incredible, we had a volunteer in Gardiner who kept calling to extend her shift because she was so excited at how many people were signing," Mello said. Volunteers from around the state reported Mainers who said they'd had changes of heart since 2009. "I met a man today in Caribou, who told me he wouldn't have signed two years ago, but his daughter has now convinced him," said EqualityMaine Political Director Ali VanderZanden, who spent the day with volunteers in Aroostook County.

About 35,000 of the over 100K petitions were signed last month on Election Day. (Tipped by JMG reader Seth)

Another New Ad From Equality Maine

New From Equality Maine

Maine Marriage Doc Opens Friday

MAINE: Marriage Push Starts Well

One of the first day of their new campaign, marriage equality activists in Maine scored 10% of the total petition signatures they'll need.

Equality Maine targeted a number of communities including Portland, Kennebunk, Biddeford, York, Bangor, Ellsworth and Brunswick on Saturday. The idea was to hit heavily attended summer festivals. On Sunday, Equality Maine put the tally at 5,200. To put gay marriage on the 2012 ballot, organizers need to collect at least 57,277 voters' signatures by Jan. 30. The bill would first go to the Legislature, which would have an option to pass it.

Maine Goes For It Again

Confirmation from the Bangor Daily News:

With momentum growing from last week’s victory in New York, supporters of marriage equality think that the time has come for another try in Maine. Today, EqualityMaine will launch a campaign to gather signatures to place marriage equality on the ballot in November 2012. They will face much work and a long campaign to legalize same-sex marriage here.

Organizers must collect 57,000 signatures by January in order to make the November 2012 ballot.

MAINE: Another Run At Marriage?

Buoyed by the result in New York, some activists in Maine say they are considering bringing same-sex marriage back to the ballot in 2012. In 2009 Maine's voters rescinded same-sex marriage mere months after it had been approved by the state legislature.

Since the defeat, gay rights advocates said they have been working behind the scenes to try to change public opinion and said same-sex marriage could come up for a vote again in 2012 in the form of a citizens' initiative. "We do have that option, and we'll decide once we get to the point where we've had enough conversations and we believe the majority of voters support us. And I will say that people are changing, people are moving, people are changing their minds on this issue," said Betsy Smith with Equality Maine.

If another ballot campaign is launched, activists must collect 57,000 petition signatures by this January.

Phillip Spooner, The Chorale

Last fall 86 year old WWII veteran Phillip Spooner delivered the below stirring speech against the ultimately successful campaign to repeal marriage equality in Maine. His inspiring speech was posted on this and many other blogs.

Today Jeremy Hooper at Good As You tips us to a choral version of Spooner's testimony.

Melissa Dunphy's new composition "What do you think I fought for at Omaha Beach?" was selected as the winning work for the 2010 Simon Carrington Chamber Singers Composition Competition. The Philadelphia-based composer's choral work sets excerpts of public testimony given by a WWII veteran before the Maine Senate in a hearing to discuss the Marriage Equality Bill. "What do you think I fought for at Omaha Beach?" was performed on May 29, 2010, at Grace and Holy Trinity in Kansas City, MO and First Presbyterian Church in Lawrence, KS. This video is taken from initial footage of the recording session on May 30, 2010, at Blessed Sacrament Church in Kansas City, KS.

Maine: No On 1's Ad #2

A dad talks about his gay daughter in this second ad from No On 1/Protect Maine Equality.

Maine Couple Celebrates 40 Years

A nice story to appear on local Maine news right now, isn't it? Wait for a bitchy comment from anti-gay organizer Marl Mutty at the end. Your donation to No On 1/Protect Maine Equality will be doubled by an anonymous donor if you do it by today.

(Via - Pam's House Blend)

Maine Seems Poised For A November Vote On Marriage Equality Repeal

The Family Research Council says their petition gatherers have nearly twice as many names as needed to get a repeal of marriage equality put on the November ballot. They have until the end of the month to submit their signatures.

Needing roughly 56,000 petition signatures to place a "People's Veto" of this legislation on the November ballot, the pro-marriage coalition has exceeded all expectations by collecting over 90,000 and counting. Pastor Bob Emrich, whom we honored with the Watchmen Pastor award a couple of years ago, is helping guide a statewide grassroots coalition to gather the signatures. Emrich and StandforMarriageMaine.com want to submit these signatures to the Secretary of State by July 31, but he had this to say: "I am finding it difficult to get people to stop collecting signatures and send me their petitions so we can get them processed."

(Via - Good As You)

Anti-Gay Catholic Group: All Civil Marriages Are False

Last week I told you about the Catholic Church-sponsored American Society for the Defense of Tradition, Family and Property and their three-state-hate tour of New York, Rhode Island, Maine. WCHS-Portland, ME reports that these nutters not only hate gays, they believe that ALL civil marriages are false:

The group says gay marriage is harmful to society because children do not have a mother and father. They also claim that marriages performed at City Hall, without God present, are not really marriages. However the group is not arguing that issue while in Maine.

Dig their fabulous red capes!

Maine's Haters: We've Got The Signatures

Stand For Marriage, the Maine group behind the petition drive to get a referendum on the November ballot to repeal same-sex marriage, says they have the required signatures.

Looking to overturn a bill signed by Governor John Baldacci in May approving same sex marriage, Stand For Marriage Maine announced today that they have collected more than the 55,087 signatures needed to place a People's Veto on the November ballot and are collecting additional signatures as insurance to meet the deadline to qualify the measure for the 2009 statewide election. "In just four weeks, we've gathered more than 55,000 signatures from Mainers who believe they, not the legislature and governor, should have the final say on the definition of marriage," said Marc Mutty, Chairman of the coalition. "There has been an extraordinary outpouring of support from voters across the state. This response gives us momentum that will lift us over the first hurdle of putting the issue before the people and, ultimately, carry us to victory in November." All signatures must be certified by the Secretary of State for validity. Once certified, the issue is cleared to appear on the November 2009 ballot.

Last month Stand For Marriage was caught lying to Mainers outside of post offices, claiming that their petition actually supported same-sex marriage. But deception by any means is legal in petition drives and the good gentle Christians behind the repeal merely shrugged and kept on lying for the Lord after they were caught.

Maine's Anti-Gays Are Racing The Clock

Everyday Christian is crowing that Maine's petition drive to repeal same-sex marriage is "off to a fast start." Anti-gay activists hope to gather the petitions in time for the November election when controversial tax items will be on the ballot, drawing more voters.

It’s a tall order, but one that is feasible if early momentum continues, Bob Emrich said. Emrich, a pastor, is the founder of The Jeremiah Project, a conservative non-profit. To date, he said between 10,000 and 12,000 signatures have been collected since late May. The goal, he said, is to get about 80,000 signatures before the petitions are handed in to account for potential duplications and errors. “We are off to a good start,” Emrich said. “The level of interest and level of intensity is remarkable. It’s unlike anything I’ve ever seen before. The challenge is to get the level of action into the right number of signatures.” Other than being at a time with higher turnout, putting the issue to voters in November has other advantages. “For one thing it’s still fresh in people’s minds and they’re still motivated,” he said. “It’s also a shorter period of time and would require less money for a shorter campaign.”

About 55,000 signatures must be gathered. The names must be submitted by September 1st, the 90-day deadline after same-sex marriage was approved. However, making that deadline will put the item on the June 2010 ballot, a lightly attended legislative primary election. If the haters get their petitions in by August 1st, they make the November ballot.

Maine Gets Potential Ballot Question

Here is the question that Maine election officials have drafted to appear on the November ballot if the haters get enough petition signatures: "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?"

Maine citizens have an amount of time, from when a bill is signed by the governor until it is effective, to collect and have verified a number of signatures of registered Maine voters equivalent to 10 percent of the total votes for governor in the last gubernatorial election in order to force a statewide vote on the measure. The current threshold to force a so-called "people's veto" is 55,087 certified signatures. Petitioners have until 90 days after the Legislature adjourns to collect 55,087 signatures. The secretary of state then has 30 days to certify the signatures. If the secretary of state rules that sufficient signatures have been affixed on the instrument of petition, the stay continues until after the voters decide on the question at a statewide election.

Rock Maine Lobster!

For the hardworking folks at Equality Maine!

Maine House Votes On Marriage Today

Maine's House of Representatives votes today on the marriage equality bill approved by the Senate last week. A live video stream of the proceedings is here. Things kick off around 10am.

"People's Veto" Campaign Against Marriage Equality Launches In Maine

Americans For Truth About Homosexuality chairman Mike Heath (who is also the head of the Maine Family Policy Council) is about to begin collecting petitions for a "People's Veto" of Maine's marriage equality bill.

The people of Maine know what marriage is,” said Heath. “Politicians pretend this debate is complicated and emotional. It isn’t. Maine people know the difference between right and wrong. What has been going on in Augusta for the past twenty years is a horrific farse.” In 1998 Heath campaigned for equal rights [against a pro-homosexual “sexual orientation” law]. He said he will do that again this time. He continued, “The other side has that part right. This is about equal rights. It is about making sure everyone has equal legal rights that are rooted in something substantial. Common sense tells all of us that you can’t give rights to people for doing wrong!” The Peoples Veto will begin as soon as the Secretary of State provides petitions to Heath. He said he looks forward to working with everyone in Maine who wants to preserve marriage and urged people to call 207-592-4137 or e-mail him at mike@mainefpc.com.

Last week Maine's Senate approved the bill 20-15. Maine Gov. John Baldacci has not definitively said if he will sign the bill, but recently appeared to be open to doing so.

Last June, when the Maine Family Policy Council was known as the Christian Civic League, Mike Heath called off an attempt to repeal the state's gay rights law, saying the group didn't have the money or volunteers to succeed.

"We're pulling the plug," said Michael Heath, executive director of the Christian Civic League of Maine. Heath said the evangelical group failed to attract voter, volunteer and financial support it needed to continue its campaign. The group collected only a third of the 15,000 voters' signatures it had set as a goal for primary election day June 10, said Heath. He added said that potential volunteers "don't want to be aligned with bigotry and homophobia and hatred," tags their opponents had applied to the initiative backers.

If Baldacci does sign the bill, same-sex marriage will become legal in Maine 90 days after the adjournment of the current legislative session on June 17. Heath and his haters will have to gather 55,087 petition signatures during that time in order to force a November referendum.