Share whatever you are comfortable with, discuss thoughts or experiences, etc...
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For myself, I want to share 2 photos taken yesterday, on a self-imposed, head-clearing 220+ mile road trip through Maine.
This one at a traffic stop- a bumper sticker on a truck that reads: "My Church Believes In Civil Rights For All".
Nice, huh?
This was on my way to the Kennebec County 'No On 1' offices in Hallowell, where I was able to get my yard signs to be put up this week.
Made a good omen, for what would turn out to be a wonderful long drive through some of my favorite towns and a terrific impromptu visit to long-treasured spots.
And then this one (taken in Augusta) for Pam.
I actually saw this as I passed, then went back for this shot! ;)
Maybe not "the keys to the city", but hey! We do what we can in this life...
Okay, it's Sunday morning and I'm settled down with fresh hot coffee... and looky what I see on the front page of my morning paper!
Today's Kennebec Journal front section absolutely "hits it out of the park", with a ginormous "front and back page" informational spread by staff writer Susan M. Cover, whose work has been tireless this year in providing full coverage of Maine's equal marriage debate, from the Statehouse and beyond.
(Hey, I like to give "shout-outs" to those highly deserving folk who work their butts off! ;)
Some excerpts- and note the mention of Washington State!!:
AUGUSTA -- Maine is at the center of a divisive national debate that touches on religion, family, children and sexuality, political scientists say.
And it's all about gay marriage."This is the first real statewide vote to preserve same-sex marriage as opposed to trying to ban it," said Jim Melcher, a political science professor at the University of Maine at Farmington. "It's startling for people in Maine to be in that hurricane, but when you think about it, where else would it be more likely?"&ly?"
Melcher points to several factors to back that up.
Maine is one of 24 states to have a people's veto process to allow citizens to call for a public vote, which is how Question 1 came to be on the ballot. New England has been more gay-friendly than other parts of the country in recent years. Advertising for these types of campaigns is much cheaper in Maine than in other parts of the country, he said. Also, Boston-based Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders targeted New England with a campaign to make gay marriage legal in all six states by 2012. And, Maine-based groups have traveled the state for the last three years talking to different people about the issue.
Among New England states, gay marriage is currently legal in Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Vermont. New Hampshire will begin allowing same-sex marriages in January and Maine's law is on hold pending the outcome of the November vote.
In Rhode Island, a bill to allow gay marriage did not make it out of a legislative committee and the governor there opposes same-sex marriage.
The only other state in the country to allow gay marriage is Iowa, where a court ruling this spring made it legal.
Only one other state -- Washington -- will vote on a gay rights issue this fall as voters there consider whether to repeal that state's domestic partner registry. Dubbed the "everything but marriage" law, it gives "state-registered domestic partners the full array of rights and responsibilities that married couples enjoy," according to the Washington Secretary of State's Office.
When it comes to marriage -- specifically whether to repeal a new state law that allows gay and lesbian couples to marry in Maine -- the Pine Tree state is where it's at this election cycle.
Fantastic article; I highly recommend reading every single word.
More below the fold.
Included in Cover's epic and highly informative detailed piece is a "Marriage Timeline 2009", out-lining the year from LD 1020's introduction on January 13th to present.
Not only that, but there are also wonderful guest commentaries by Julian Bond and another regarding Judy Shepard (neither on the online KJ/Portland Press Herald versions) by Petula Dvorak, on the editorial page.
The article concludes with the news that today's work is part of a series to be published in the Kennebec Journal this week.
Today's is entitled: How did Maine become the national battleground for gay marriage in 2009?
Tomorrow there will be a profile of Reverend (aka "Busy Boy") Bob Emrich, as well as the story of HArold Booth and Dan Kelley of Hallof Hallowell.
Tuesday will conclude the series, with the story of Brenda and Christine Nichols of Winslow and their children, as well as that Craig and Alice Kramer of South China (home of former MFPC/CCL head Mike Heath), who believe "it is wrong to change the traditional definition of marriage".
But arguably what my favorite part of today's KJ is this:
All of the 'Yes on 1'/SFMM/NOM/Schubert-Flint California Prop 8" ads eliminated, all of the lies and hype erased.
Leaving simply for the readers to decide, in clear language.
Taking the entire year's various discussions and news snippets right back to the facts and the one basic question that matters: QUESTION 1.
Brilliantly done, Susan.
I will be updating this throughout the morning as I find more information regarding yesterday's events, so... open thread/ discussion time!
~Louise
NBC just ran (repeated on MSNBC, natch) a really well put together piece, tying together last night's HRC presidential address, the current referendum battle in Maine (with a nod to last year's events in California/ Prop 8), as part of a larger clip about this weekend's National Equality March.
If I can figure out how to embed, I will share it here.
C-SPAN will provide live video coverage of the march live from 2-5pm.
Today's scheduled NEM events, already in progress:
Sunday, Oct. 11th, 2009* Oct 11, 2009 - 8am Official Interfaith Service
An interfaith service with singing and celebration!* Oct 11, 2009 - 8:00am Cadence RunRun with LGBT Servicemembers and veterans military style, around the memorials/monuments
* Oct 11, 2009 - 8:00am-10:00am Community Strategy Breakfast: Movement Principles & Coalition Building (Podcast by Bilerico.com)
A community discussion featuring The Dallas Principles, Florida OUT (a coalition model), and the new movement web-tool - The Whip Count - by ActOnPrinciples.org and equalitygiving.org.
* Oct 11, 2009 - 12 noon National Equality March
March for Equality!* Oct 11, 2009 - Approxima feftely 2:00pm National Equality March Rally
The March culminates in a rally at the Capitol Building.
Evan Wolfson is founder and Executive Director of Freedom to Marry, a national gay and non-gay partnership working to win marriage equality across the country. In 2004 TIME magazine named Wolfson one of the "100 most influential people in the world." Wolfson is the author of "Why Marriage Matters: America, Equality and Gay People's Right to Marry". He wrote the book on marriage, literally. Monday, November 2 6:00 PM SEIU Local 49 3536 SE 26th Ave. Portland, OR 9720 Tuesday, November 3 7:00 p.m. Old Stone Church in Bend 157 NW Franklin Ave. Light refreshments willll be served. Thank you to the following co-sponsors: Basic Rights Oregon Education Fund, Unitarian Universalists Fellowship of Central Oregon, Human Dignity Advocates of Crook County, GLBTbend.com, PFLAG Central Oregon, Human Dignity Coalition & Spice Trader Records Wednesday, November 4 6:00pm Eugene Public Library 100 W 10th Ave Eugene, OR 97401 Sponsored by the Eugene Public Library
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