Maine

On May 6, 2009, Maine's Governor John Baldacci signed into law a freedom to marry bill overwhelmingly approved by the Senate and House.

Despite citizens and representatives from across Maine standing up in favor of the marriage equality bill, following the bill’s passage, anti-gay forces spent millions of dollars to gather signatures and mount an attack campaign to put a referendum on the November ballot.

Even though a strong grassroots effort worked hard in Maine, the attack campaign by anti-gay forces just barely overturned Maine’s law supporting the freedom to marry for gay couples. Work continues despite this loss, to continue changing hearts and minds, and end the exclusion of gay couples from marriage. In the meantime some domestic partnership protections remain in place since they were enacted in 2004. 

Status: Some Protections for Couples, Anti-Marriage Law

Groups Actively Working on Marriage

Equality Maine: the primary statewide organization working to win the freedom to marry for same-sex couples

Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders: New England's leading legal rights organization dedicated to ending discrimination based on sexual orientation, HIV status and gender identity and expression

 

Blog Posts Related to Maine

Maine Commission’s Investigation into NOM Fundraising Practices continues

Nearly four months after Maine voters approved a referendum that overturned their state’s law that had allowed gays and lesbians to marry, the National Organization for Marriage continues to stonewall requests for information from a commission investigating its contributions to the successful campaign.

Going After the “Movable Middle” on the Freedom to Marry

Third Way, a Washington DC based think tank, conducted a poll of 600 Maine voters right after Question One passed in November and identified some important trends among the movable middle swing voters.

Maine Ethics Commission Votes 4-1 to Deny NOM’s Petition For Investigation Stay

See All »

Resources Related to Maine

Moving the Middle on Marriage:  Lessons from Maine and Washington

If advocates can successfully tap into the true spirit of marriage and convince the middle that gay couples want to get married for the same reasons that straight couples do, we think we will be able to address the middle’s remaining concerns and help move that group, and the country, more quickly towards support for marriage.

Study: Fiscal Impact of Marriage Equality in Maine

Maine would gain approximately $7.9 million each year if marriage is extended to same-sex couples.

Maine Census Snapshot

Demographic and economic information about same-sex couples and same-sex couples raising children in Maine.

See All »