The Great State of Maine has become the fifth state to recognize marriage equality for gays and lesbians! Gov. Jim Baldacci signed the legislation into law today:
“I have come to believe that this is a question of fairness and of equal protection under the law and that a civil union is not equal to civil marriage,” said Baldacci, a Democrat.
But he raised the possibility that the residents of the state would overturn the law, saying, “Just as the Maine Constitution demands that all people are treated equally under the law, it also guarantees that the ultimate political power in the State belongs to the people.”
Hopefully such a thing won’t happen and Maine will remain a state that does not discriminate based on sexual orientation.
New Hampshire is considering a similar bill, and Washington, DC’s council voted to recognize same-sex marriages from other states and countries.
Gays and lesbians can now be legally married in Massachusetts, Iowa, Connecticut, Vermont, and Maine!
All in all, it’s stacking up to be some good progress for marriage equality. Watch for the mass right wing head explosion in 3, 2, …
Whosoever founder and Editor Emeritus Rev. Candace Chellew (she/her) is the author of Bulletproof Faith: A Spiritual Survival Guide for Gay and Lesbian Christians. She earned her masters of theological studies at Emory University’s Candler School of Theology, was ordained in December 2003, and trained as a spiritual director through the Omega Point program of the Episcopal Diocese of Atlanta. She serves as the spiritual director of Jubilee! Circle in Columbia, S.C., and blogs at Motley Mystic.