Maine's Marriage Equality Repeal Makes Ballot: An Overview of the Fight
Filed by: Waymon Hudson
September 3, 2009 2:00 PM
As expected, equality opponents Stand for Marriage Maine managed to get enough signatures to place Question 1, a repeal of Maine's newly passed Marriage Equality bill, on the November ballot.
The drive to put the "People's Veto" on the ballot surpassed the needed 55,087 signatures. The question will appear as:
'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?'
Having already anticipated the outcome, Vote No on 1/Protect Maine Equality has already begun campaigning with great ads already running for several weeks across Maine. Be sure to donate to the Vote No on 1 campaign now!
You can make a donation through Bilerico's ActBlue Page, which goes to the campaign to fight Question 1!
The ads, and more info on some (surprise!) ethical complaints against Stand for Marriage Maine and NOM, after the jump...
The Ads Say it All... On Both Sides
Here's two of the Protect Maine Equality Ads:
These are great ads with real Mainers and real LGBT families. In juxtaposition, the National Organization for Marriage and their anti-gay cronies in Stand for Marriage Maine have been putting out casting calls for actors for their ads:
Casting Director James Stiles is putting out the word that he's looking for two 'real Maine' women to appear in a television ad produced by supporters of traditional marriage. Stiles is looking for a 'teacher type' and a 'working waitress type,' both in the 35-45 age range. If you want to try out, he's holding auditions from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Wednesday (Sept. 2) at the Howard Johnson in South Portland. If you're hired, it's a three day gig that pays $500 a day.
Dirty Business as Usual for NOM
SFMM and NOM are also already facing money laundering charges (which seems to be a common theme for any election they are involved in), brought to light by Fred Karger of Californians Against Hate:
Jonathan Wayne, Executive Director of State of Maine Commission of Governmental Ethics and Elections Practices, sent a strongly worded four page letter to Stand for Marriage Maine PAC (SFMMP) and the National Organization for Marriage (NOM), seeking more information on the charges of "money laundering" against them in their campaign to repeal Maine's same-sex marriage law.
It seems NOM is once again is trying to shield donors and skirt election disclosure laws:
The four organizational donors (National Organization for Marriage ($160,000), Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland ($100,000), Knights of Columbus -- Washington, DC ($50,000) and James Dobson's Focus on the Family ($31,000), gave 99.999% of the money raised to Stand for Marriage Maine PAC. They circumvented Maine's campaign reporting law to avoid disclosure of the true contributors.
We'll be sure to keep a close eye on this as it develops further. If found to be a legitimate claim, the anti-equality folks could face hefty fines (yay!), have to fully disclose ALL donors (bigger yay!), or even not be allowed to participate in the campaign (big HUGE yay!).
Make a Difference- Donate Now!
To run the great ads and defend from a Prop 8 redux, Protect Maine Equality needs our help.
Please make a donation to help fight the anti-equality forces in Maine
or
Sign up to Volunteer for the Campaign!
Together we can defeat this!
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4 Comments
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Although I do think we should be ready for anything, I also think there is still a good chance that the referendum will be ruled against and taken off the ballot due to the legal questions about the validation of the signatures. Hopefully, there will be a quick ruling on this.
A. J. Lopp | September 3, 2009 3:10 PM
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I'd like to second Waymon's call to donate via the Bilerico Act Blue page. I'm $100 of the $540 so far.
Bil Browning | September 3, 2009 7:08 PM
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Thanks, Waymon, for your good efforts, but as is amply demonstated by today's edition of TBP, Maine is not a priority for the 'gay community.' The 'Equality March' gets more attention by at least a 5 to 1 ratio. And I bet we'll spend $100 on the March for every dollar we donate to Maine and Washington state combined.
A couple of weeks back, I donated (directly to No One 1) more than I could really afford (about as much as the total Bilerico/Act Blue has raised to date) and the only reason I don't feel like a complete fool is that our folks in Maine are so incredibly dedicated and it breaks my heart to see them left out on a limb while our 'leaders' take the ladder to D.C.
tristram | September 4, 2009 12:53 AM
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I am a supporter of Marriage Equality, because it is beneficial for everyone. Everyone wins, a win – win situation.
People against Marriage Equality do not base their public statements on facts either from science or the bible. It is a repeat of the time the Vatican was condemning Galileo, because they insisted that Galileo was going against the bible that it is the sun that revolves around the earth.
With all due respect, it is without a question that Bishop Malone of Maine would not be able to pass graduate course exams on human sexuality, sexual orientation, and gender identity or biblical studies. Prove me wrong!!!
And if Bishop Malone cannot pass these exams today, than before God he needs to publically retract what he said against Marriage Equality. If not, then Bishop Malone needs to go back to the seminary to study moral theology.
The best thing to do for the well-being and safety of all children would be if people against Marriage Equality spent their money to academically study human sexuality, sexual orientation, gender identity and the bible. This is what children need the truth. People speaking out on such life and death issues should not speak out of ignorance and fear, thus spreading hatred and violence that indiscriminately is severely harmful to all children.
It must be remember that the importance and meaning of marriage is more than procreation. Two people pledging their love to each other is not just for themselves, because that is not marriage. By being in love, two become one and then they are better equip to be the best for everyone in world their families, friends, co-workers and beyond. In this way all marriages are contributing to the procreation of children by their enriching the social environment that children will be born into. I think that love; true love like energy is never lost, a bit like Einstein, maybe.
Truth will set you free - not ignorance and fear.
Fr. Marty Kurylowicz
Fr. Marty Kurylowicz | October 2, 2009 1:16 PM
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