Will Maine Support Fairness?

Maine passed a law making it illegal to discriminate against gay people in house, employment, accommodations, credit, etc. This is the third time similar bills have become law. Twice before, the voters of Maine has repealed the laws by voter referendum.

Maine Won’t Discriminate plans to spend a lot of time explaining to voters that the law they likely will vote on in November -- pending state validation of 50,519 signatures submitted by the Christian Civic League of Maine and its supporters -- has nothing to do with gay marriage. [...]

Twice before, voters have rejected similar measures by slim margins. The civic league and the grassroots coalition announced last week they had the signatures needed to put the issue out to a citizen vote again. (source)

“What we’re going to focus on is what this bill is actually about, basic and fundamental protections,” said Ted O’Meara, a former director of the state Republican Party. “It’s very simple. It’s very straightforward.”

While the law makes it very clear that it is only concerned with discrimination, and not marriage, the message folks receive from people who have their own agenda (religious groups who want gays to have no protections what so ever), is that that this is a “slippery slope” and that if you make it illegal to fire someone for being gay, it won’t be long before those people will be asking for marriage equality.

That may happen, but that is a different issue all together. This law is only talking about basic protections. So if the citizens of Maine repeal the law, what they are really saying to the gay citizens of Maine, along with the gay tourists who go to Maine to spend their vacation money, is that we will take your money, but we still reserve the right to fire you, evict you, turn down your request for a loan... just for being gay, and for no other reason.

I love Maine. I do. It is a beautiful state. Kent and I have been to Moosehead Lake and have enjoyed it’s awesome beauty. We make it a point to go to the Ogunquit area once or twice a year. I would miss going.

But, what Maine offers to me if they repeal this law is really something impossible for me to reconcile. How can I continue to go there when I know that people, just like me, will be discriminated against in this fashion, and my tourist dollars will be supporting that machine?

I can’t do that. If Maine ever chooses to offer marriage to it’s gay citizens or not is for them to decide. I believe they should, but that is of course, my personal opinion.

Not hiring someone for a job for being gay is another issue entirely, and that does affect me. I don’t have to be a citizen of Maine to voice my opinion on this. If they repeal this bill, I will have to seek other areas for our vacations - some place that feels that, whoever you are, you are entitled to simple, basic fairness.

I suppose we would settle for Massachusetts. It allows full marriage for gay couples and does not discriminate. The rest of our state’s neighbors are not as progressive. Or, we could vacation in Canada. The danger is, we might just want to stay.