Maine

The Catholic Church is funneling unprecedented dollar amounts into the four states where marriage equality is on the ballot this fall – Minnesota, Maryland, Maine and Washington – and in many cases, parishioners may not even be aware that their dollars are being used to fund discrimination, according to a new report by the Human Rights Campaign. [ Read more → ]

The Human Rights Campaign on Friday announced it was committing an additional $1 million to the marriage equality campaigns in the four states with ballot initiatives this November. [ Read more → ]

The Republican U.S. senators from Maine are no taking no position on the Maine marriage ballot initiative just weeks before voters will decide whether to legalize same-sex marriage at the polls. [ Read more → ]

Voters in Maryland, Maine and Washington state may be among the first ever to legalize same-sex marriage at the ballot box, as recent polling suggests marriage equality bills gaining support leading up to the November general election. [ Read more → ]

This November, four states (Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, and Washington) have marriage definition questions on their ballots. Within the LGBT community and society at large, we often think of the effects of these elections in terms of whether or not marriage equality will expand to another state, or whether yet another state will ingrain discrimination into its constitution. What we don’t consider — but we ought to — is the toll that these referendums can take on LGB people during the election season itself. [ Read more → ]

The U.S. Supreme Court has denied another request from an anti-gay group challenging financial disclosure laws in Maine that require the organization to reveal who donated to the 2009 marriage ballot initiative campaign. [ Read more → ]

PORTLAND, Maine -- The National Organization for Marriage on Thursday transferred $250,000 to the Protect Marriage Maine political action committee, to aid in spearheading the campaign against Maine's November ballot initiative seeking to legalize same-sex marriage. [ Read more → ]

The Republican senator from Maine credited with being a leader in the legislative effort to repeal “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” has signed on to legislation that would enable gay Americans to sponsor their foreign same-sex partners for residency in the United States. [ Read more → ]

A group of LGBT advocacy organizations on Thursday launched the "United for Marriage" campaign, a national effort to recruit volunteers for the state marriage campaigns. [ Read more → ]

The Republican National Convention gets down to business today in Tampa, Fla., where delegates are expected to overwhelmingly pass the Republican Party platform that is unequivocally against marriage for gay and lesbian couples. Despite that, could 2012 turn out to be the year of marriage equality? [ Read more → ]

WASHINGTON -- The Human Rights Campaign on Monday announced a further $1 million cash infusion adding to earlier funding and significant on-the-ground work in the four states facing marriage-related ballot measures in November – Maine, Maryland, Minnesota and Washington. [ Read more → ]

The Defense of Marriage Act has some powerful enemies, with strongly-worded opposition coming this week from some familiar names. A flawed study on LGBT parenting is also under attack, with its author now under investigation. All that and some good news coming out of Maine. [ Read more → ]

PORTLAND, Maine -- A new statewide poll in Maine published Tuesday found that 57 percent of the state's voters favor legalizing same-sex marriage, and that only 35 percent remain opposed. [ Read more → ]

A November ballot referendum aimed at legalizing same-sex marriage in Maine appears likely to pass, according to a new poll. The poll, conducted last week by WBUR Radio, follows the indicators of recent national polls, which show increasing acceptance of same-sex marriage. [ Read more → ]

Nevada and Maine could see the number of openly gay state lawmakers triple after Victory Fund-endorsed candidates advanced in primary elections this week, while in California, nine LGBT state legislative candidates won their primaries, setting the state up to elect the largest LGBT caucus ever. [ Read more → ]

Churches across the state of Maine will pass the collection plate at Sunday services on Father's Day to raise funds for the lead group opposing the state's November ballot initiative seeking to legalize same-sex marriage. [ Read more → ]

Civil unions advance in Colorado, but old foes are joining forces in Maine. There's just a few days left until North Carolina votes on an extreme constitutional amendment, and the race is getting closer and closer every day. [ Read more → ]

Opponents of a marriage equality referendum that would allow Maine voters to reverse their 2009 decision and legalize same-sex marriage when the issue is again considered at the ballot box later this year, have launched a “No Special Rights PAC," encouraging supporters to use the term "sodomy-based marriage." [ Read more → ]

The Maine People’s Resource Center has released the results of a new public opinion poll of likely Maine 2012 voters, and shows support for marriage equality has increased to 58 percent, with opposition about 40 percent. [ Read more → ]

BRUNSWICK, Maine -- When a high school math teacher hung a t-shirt containing the message, “gay? fine by me” in her classroom, she was expecting it might elicit some reactions, but was surprised when dozens of students said they wanted a t-shirt like it of their own. [ Read more → ]