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Loading ...Massive crowd as Maine lawmakers take up gay marriage
04.22.2009 5:32pm EDT
(Augusta, Maine) Thousands of people thronged into the Augusta Civic Center as Maine lawmakers began the first public hearings on a bill that would allow equal marriage in the state.
The hearings were to have been held at the State House, but moved to the civic center to accomodate the large number of people expected.Supporters of gay marriage far outnumbered opponents. That was obvious when gay marriage legislation sponsor, Sen. Dennis S. Damon (D), took to the podium amid massive cheers.
Damon said the time has come to recognize same-sex marriages in Maine. Marriage equality, he said, “recognizes the worth of every man and woman among us.”
The committee is looking at three bills, two of them from Damon. One bill would repeal Maine’s 12-year old so-called Defense of Marriage law, which bars same-sex marriage; a second bill would make marriage gender-neutral.
The marriage bill states that churches would not be compelled to conduct same-sex weddings if they were inconsistent with their doctrine.
The measure has more than 60 lawmakers as co-sponsors. Damon said the legislators represent both Democrats and Republicans and that they come from Maine’s smallest towns and largest cities.
Normally no more than 10 lawmakers are allowed to sign on as co-sponsors of a bill, but Damon said 50 others sought to have their names added.
A third bill, filed by Rep. Leslie Fossel (R) would create a domestic-partner registry while maintaining DOMA. It is considered unlikely to move out of committee.
The marriage bill has a better chance of passing, but its prospects before the full House and Senate are still uncertain.
Gov. John Baldacci previously opposed the bill, but now he says he’s keeping an open mind.
If the marriage bill passes the legislature and is signed into law, then only New Hampshire and Rhode Island would not have equal marriage in New England. Legislation currently is before the New Hampshire Senate. It has already passed the House.
Last November, Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders, the Boston-based LGBT rights group that brought the successful legal challenges leading to same-sex marriage in Massachusetts and Connecticut, launched the “Six by Twelve” campaign to legalize gay marriage throughout all six New England states by 2012.
I am so excited to hear all about this. As a former Mainer, gay rights activist, and former president of the gay and lesbian organization, Wilde-Stein, at the University of Maine, it makes me so proud of that state that I have calle home for 12 years. It was fun getting text messages at 4:30 am about all the supporters, and I’m still getting messages with updates. I’m certain it will pass.
Being surrounded by Canada, Vermont, and Massachusetts, each of them a jurisdiction that has marriage equality, it’s hard to imagine Maine and New Hampshire failing to do so as well. They are literally surrounded by evidence that the lies about it are not true.
New England is cool.
I sincerely hope that Maine gains equal marriage rights. I’m down in Texas; I know it will be several years before anything trickle downs here to us. THANK all of you for fighting for us!
I was there for part of the day and the support was amazing! As this article states, supporters far outnumbered opponents. Unfortunately, some of the local TV reports implied that the crowd was equally split and took camera shots from an angle that showed more opposition. I would guess that at least 80% of the crowd was in support.
Apparently, the Roman Catholic bishop has declared that they support civil rights for homosexuals and backs civil unions (despite having opposed every civil rights bill that would have protected gay people); they just don’t support gay marriage. This must mean that they are very afraid that marriage equality will prevail. If it does, I’ll bet a dollar to a doughnut that the constitutional amendment that they will sponsor prohibiting gay marriage will also prohibit civil unions. The liars.
Let’s all keep our fingers crossed on this one. Of course it doesn’t hurt to pester the sh*t outta the reps in Augusta! Heh,heh,heh.