Working to secure full equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people in Maine since 1984.

The momentum has shifted.

On June 10, 2008, Maine primary voters were asked to sign a petition supporting a referendum that would strip basic legal protections from LGBT Mainers and their families. This petition, brought by the Christian Civic League, was an attempt to

• Erase all the non-discrimination protections we've fought so hard to win;
  
• End funding for school civil rights teams, which have played a vital role in combating harassment of all kinds; and
  
• Prohibit unmarried couples from jointly adopting, a move that would threaten the best interest of children.

Every voter had a right to sign that petition, but we needed to make sure people understood what they were really signing -- and we wanted to offer fair-minded voters something better to sign: an statement of support for equality for all Maine citizens.

Our efforts on primary day were an unprecedented display of unity as a community. We outnumbered the opposition 3-1 at the polls, and across the state, thousands of voters turned their backs on the anti-equality petition.

All of us at EqualityMaine were deeply moved by the response we saw to this petition, not only from our longtime supporters and volunteers, but from people who stood with us for the very first time. And so it did not surprise us that the Christian Civic League dropped its petition because of a lack of interest and financial support.

We can rejoice that the immediate threat is over, but as history has shown—time and time again—this is just one in a long history of attacks on LGBT Mainers. With an active debate on marriage taking place in Maine and across the nation, this is not the last of the attacks.

Now, we cannot sit back and wait for the next attack to come. We must build on the momentum we generated on primary day—and be pro-active in winning protections for our families.

Our first step? Hosting two Community Conversations on Equality, one in Bangor on July 17 and one in Portland on July 21. As recent events have shown, we're strongest when we work together, so we need you to add your voice, share your ideas and get involved with the efforts that lie ahead.

If you haven't done so yet, please sign up to receive occasional updates from EqualityMaine. We'll keep you up to date as we work toward full equality for all Mainers, and let you know how you can help make it happen.