Maine News
Maine Voters Refuse to Sign Anti-Gay Ballot Petition
The organization spearheading Maine’s recent anti-gay referenda withdrew its most recent petition effort when state primary voters refused to sign the petition in sufficient numbers.
The measure would have eliminated sexual orientation from the non-discrimination law, reversed GLAD’s 2007 …
The Importance of Family, at Any Age
Starr Waisenen and Connie Bergen have raised their daughter Melissa together for the past 24 years. But until a recent Maine Law Court decision (see story below) allowing same-sex couples to jointly adopt, Starr and Melissa had no legal relationship. In this story from Maine Public Broadcasting …
Victory for Same-Sex Parents and Children in Maine
At last, Ann Courtney and Marilyn Kirby of Portland will be able to form a permanent, legal parental relationship with their foster children, 10-year-old “M” and her brother, six-year-old “R”. In a unanimous decision, Maine’s Law Court issued a ruling that paves the way for the siblings to be …
Gay Mainers to Have Family Medical Leave
Maine’s legislature passed a bill extending the protections of the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) to same-sex couples and their families. Working with Equality Maine, the Maine Civil Liberties Union, and the Maine Women’s Lobby, GLAD helped organize testimony, planned media strategy, and talked …
Mary Bonauto Testifies in Support of Maine Anti-Discrimination Regulations
GLAD Civil Rights Project Director Mary Bonauto today presented testimony in favor of proposed regulations for implementing Maine’s ant-discrimination law. The law, ratified by voters in 2005, provides protection against discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity and …
“The Way Life Should Be: Marriage in Maine”
Three Same-Sex Couples Tell Their Stories in New Video
Six couples from Maine tell the stories of their lives and relationships, and why they want to marry in their home state in the new video, “The Way Life Should Be: Marriage in Maine.” They discuss everything from parenting to aging, and …