Question One: Yes or No, which way will Maine go?
By Staff Writer JAMES CAMP - “Do you want to reject the new law that lets same-sex couples marry and allows individuals and religious groups to refuse to perform these marriages?” The question is perhaps the most important and certainly the most publicized Maine voters will ask themselves November 3. What effect will Maine’s “Live-and-Let-Live” attitude have this November? What is Question One?
The right to marry for same-sex couples in Maine was passed by the State Legislature and signed into law by Gov. John Baldacci on May 6. The law (An Act to Promote Marriage Equality and Affirm Religious Freedom) was scheduled to take effect September 12, however, opponents of the law collected sufficient signatures to place the measure on the Peoples’ Veto Ballot, effectively placing the bill in limbo.
The Federal Government at this time does not recognize the marriage of same-sex couples. Kylie Groat is the head of public relations for The Alliance, UMF’s “student diversity group with an intensive focus on sexual diversity,” according to the organization’s facebook page.
“It is about so much more than marriage,” said Groat. “If we can achieve marriage for LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transsexual) couples, then that opens the door to all the rights they have been denied. There are 1,138 Federal rights denied to Gay and Lesbian couples.”
This is a fight the Alliance members are prepared to take on.
The Alliance fights for equality among everyone; they believe in more than just equality for same-sex couples. According to Trixie Mattchine, Co-chair of the Alliance, “The purpose of the Alliance is to make the campus, and Farmington in general, an affirming place for people of all gender identities and preferences.” Mattachine believes firmly in same-sex marriage. “I am gay. My older sister is getting married this year. I am extremely happy for her, and someday I would like to get married.”
Currently Maine offers domestic partnership for same-sex couples. The provision, in place since 2004, offers same-sex couples a limited range of rights, including those relative to matters of probate, guardianship, conservatorship, inheritance, and protection from abuse.
UMF President Theo Kalikow believes “Domestic partnership is great, but it doesn’t convey and confer all the legal consequences of marriage.” Kalikow qualified the statement as her personal opinion, not the official stance of the University. “If there is going to be an institution such as marriage,” she said, “then everybody should have it if they want.”
Some opponents of same-sex marriage, including powerful coalitions such as Stand for Marriage Maine, believe it will lead to teaching of LGBT relationships in Maine schools. Others, such as the Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland, a major Yes on 1 donor, claim it will lead to the destruction of marriage as a religious institution.
Tyler Leclair, a Student Senator and Vice President of UMF’s College Republicans is “fairly confident [Yes on 1] will prevail.”
“The sacred institution of marriage has gone downhill,” said Leclair, citing current divorce rates. “I see same-sex marriage as just another attack.”
“The entire institution… is really being taken for granted by people,” LeClair added. “The institution of marriage is slowly being chipped away.”
The division between church and state over Question One is blurred. According to Professor of Political Science Jim Melcher, “It is not uncommon for the church to get involved. They have done far worse.”
Currently, Massachusetts (the first state to allow such unions), Connecticut, Iowa and Vermont permit same-sex marriage. The New Year will add New Hampshire to the list. In California, same-sex marriage was legal for a brief period between June 16 and Election Day of last year. New York and Washington, D.C. recognize same-sex marriages performed in other states or countries but do not perform them themselves.
Hawaii, Oregon and Utah offer varying forms of Domestic Partnership, while Rhode Island acknowledges same-sex couples that are married in Massachusetts. Internationally, Canada, Spain, South Africa and four other nations permit same-sex marriage.
Maine would be the first state to defend this type of law, and Kalikow and Melcher agree that the impact could be tremendous. Kalikow called it a heavy burden for one lone New England state to handle.
According to Melcher, “The outcome of the Peoples’ Veto Vote could provide momentum for the rest of the country. We will be a national test case.”
 
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