Maine to take up marriage bill
February 6, 2009
Jeremy Kennedy, one of our regional field organizers, wrote in this morning with this update from Maine: 
I bundled up and hit the ground in Portland, Maine a week ago. The daunting task of braving the cold and snow of a Maine winter has seemed easy when compared to the task ahead. Working alongside Equality Maine, who has been working hard for LGBT equality for years, I am honored to have the opportunity to organize support for a marriage equality bill which has been introduced in the legislature. All eyes will be on Maine over the next year, as the bill gets passed in the legislature and, inevitably, gets put on the ballot as a referendum. Here in Maine, our opposition will undoubtedly use a process called “the people’s veto” to put the marriage equality legislation up for popular vote. We expect this to happen right after the legislature passes marriage equality, so we’re working hard now to gather support across the state. We are traveling across Maine this week for a series of community conversations. The attendance and excitement at these events has been unprecedented. Last night, in Augusta, over 50 people showed up to get an update on the marriage bill and every one of them signed up to volunteer! At each of these meetings, the importance of marriage equality is evident as I hear stories of LGBT families who are struggling to have their relationships be recognized under the law. It is the voices of these families which lead the conversations across the state. It is these conversations, person to person, town to town, that will make marriage equality a reality for the people of Maine. To be continued…
