News

Maine Won't Discriminate
By Patti Mikkelsen

New Gloucester--On September 27, Christopher Rheault hosted a potluck party at his Cobbs Bridge home, at which the upcoming anti-discrimination referendum was discussed. The party was one of the "1000 Neighborhood Events Against Discrimination" functions sponsored by the "Maine Won't Discriminate" campaign.Below,
Christopher Rheault holding a "Maine Won't Discriminate" bumper sticker. Mikkelsen photo

Mr. Rheault informed his guests that earlier this year a strong bi-partisan majority of Maine legislators passed a law prohibiting discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation in employment, education, housing, credit and public accommodations. Entitled, "An Act to Extend Civil Rights Protections to All People Regardless of Sexual Orientation" passed the Maine Legislature in March of 2005. All other New England states have also passed legislation ensuring such protections. Almost immediately, citizens opposing the new law initiated actions to have it overturned at referendum in November.

Mr. Rheault reported that during the past two elections related to this issue, early polling showed strong support for gay rights referendums, only to be defeated by a slim margin on Election Day. Informal post-election inquiries he conducted showed that a sense of complacency kept many would-be voters home. Respondents said that they wished they had taken the time to have gone to the polls, so the vote would have come out differently. Mr. Rheault encouraged his guests to get-out-the-vote by talking to friends and family, supplying absentee ballots when requested.

The text of the anti-discrimination bill specifically does not grant gays and lesbians the right to marry, Mr. Rheault reminded those in attendance. He contended that other political action groups have been misleading Maine voters by disseminating incorrect information on this point.

More information on the upcoming referendum can be found by logging on to: www.MaineWontDiscriminate.com.

The bill reads in part:

Sec. 1. 5 MRSA §4552, as amended by PL 1993, c. 327, §1, is further amended to read:

§4552. Policy
"To protect the public health, safety and welfare, it is declared to be the policy of this State to keep continually in review all practices infringing on the basic human right to a life with dignity, and the causes of these practices, so that corrective measures may, where possible, be promptly recommended and implemented, and to prevent discrimination in employment, housing or access to public accommodations on account of race, color, sex, sexual orientation, physical or mental disability, religion, ancestry or national origin; and in employment, discrimination on account of age or because of the previous assertion of a claim or right under former Title 39 or Title 39-A and in housing because of familial status; and to prevent discrimination in the extension of credit on account of age, race, color, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, religion, ancestry or national origin; and to prevent discrimination in education on account of sex, sexual orientation or physical or mental disability. "

In summary, the bill "forbids the denial of rights in employment, housing, public accommodations, credit and education opportunity to individuals based on their sexual orientation."

Maine Won't Discriminate lists their proponents as a bipartisan coalition of individuals, businesses, and religious and political organizations and are a diverse group of Democrats, Republicans, Greens and Independents. FMI go to www.mainewontdiscriminae.com

At the maine.gov website for the Bureau of Corporations, Elections and Commissions, the People's Veto Petition asking "Do you want to reject the new law that would protect people from discrimination in employment, housing, education, public accommodations and credit based on their sexual orientation?" was certified for the November 8, 2005 Ballot. Vote 'yes' to overturn the new law, vote 'no' to keep it on the books.

Proponent 1 behind the referendum is listed on the www.maine.gov site as Michael S. Heath, 28 Mayflower Lane, South China, ME 04358, Telephone: (H) 445-4929 (W) 622-7634.

Proponent 2 is listed as Scott M. Clark, PhD, 6 Brentwood Road, Cape Elizabeth, ME 04107, Telephone: (H) 767-2366 (W) 856-0424.

Michael Heath is the executive director of the Christian Civic League of Maine. His comments in his online newsletter after Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans sparked a firestorm of controversy which was reported statewide. His original post read: "By an odd coincidence - and it was perhaps no more than a coincidence - an enormous gay rights celebration was scheduled for New Orleans just as the worst natural disaster ever to strike our nation was venting its full fury on that helpless city."