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GAY-MARRIAGE RULING SPARKS MAINE REACTIONS, PRO AND CON

Portland Press Herald -- Thursday, December 5, 1996
The day after a judge in Hawaii ruled that the state can't ban same-sex marriages, many Mainers were beginning to feel the impact of the decision.

NOT YOUR CUP OF TEA, CAROLYN?

Portland Press Herald -- Wednesday, December 4, 1996
Bill Nemitz op-ed piece
Concerned Maine Families, for all its self-righteous rhetoric, is not about maintaining the morality of the community or protecting the principles on which this God-fearing nation was founded. It's about attacking homosexuals -period.

GAY-PARTNER BENEFITS MAY TRIGGER BACKLASH

Portland Press Herald -- Monday, October 14, 1996
The University of Maine System's decision to extend health insurance and other benefits to the partners of homosexual employees could cause a backlash in the Legislature.

CHURCHES CONFRONT SAME-SEX UNIONS

Maine Sunday Telegram -- October 13, 1996 -- Feature Story (Sarah Dowling)
As politicians, lawyers and activists debate whether same-sex marriages should be legal, a parallel debate is taking place in churches and synagogues throughout the country over how to treat gay and lesbian couples seeking to pledge commitments to each other.

UMAINE OFFERS BENEFITS TO GAY-LESBIAN PARTNERS OF ITS FACULTY MEMBERS

Portland Press Herald -- Friday, October 11, 1996
The benefits are part of the faculty contract that was recently approved by the university system's board. It is believed to be the first time in Maine that same-sex partners of public employees have been offered benefits.

AG FILES SUITS AGAINST TEENS IN ATTACKS

Portland Press Herald -- Friday, October 4, 1996
Maine's Attorney General's Office has filed a civil rights lawsuit against two Windham teen-agers who allegedly attacked a youth they thought was gay.

PEABODY SALUTES HONOREE WHO DIED OF AIDS

Portland Press Herald -- Friday, October 4, 1996 (Frannie)
The woman who got an award and two standing ovations Thursday for her work fighting HIV and AIDS refused to speak of her own achievements. She focused instead on a woman who came before her.

LEADERSHIP AWARD TO HONOR PEABODY

Portland Press Herald -- Wednesday, October 2, 1996
Peabody, 93, will receive the Kerry A. Carson Memorial Award, named for a woman from York who died of HIV-related illness last year at the age of 22. ''It's wonderful to be following Kerry because I think she was an extraordinary person,'' Peabody said. ''She was like a whirlwind.'' Peabody laments the loss of talented young people to AIDS.


AIDS PROJECT REVERSES DECISION

Portland Press Herald -- Friday, September 20, 1996
The AIDS Project has reversed its decision to drop case management in Androscoggin and Oxford counties, following an increase in state funding for the service.

GAY-MARRIAGE FOES PUSH FOR MAINE LAW

Portland Press Herald -- Saturday, September 14, 1996
On the heels of a U.S. Senate vote this week not to recognize homosexual marriages, the 99-year-old Christian Civic League urged state legislators to follow Congress' lead.

RETIREE UNABLE TO RESIST CHALLENGE

Portland Press Herald -- Thursday, August 15, 1996
Tom Cathcart finds himself at the helm of the Peabody House, the state-licensed boarding home in Portland's West End for people in the advanced stages of AIDS. He started his new job as executive director on June 3, 1996.

THESE DAYS, APOLOGY IS REFRESHING

Portland Press Herald -- Friday, July 5, 1996
It could have turned into a public relations bombshell for Maine's gay and lesbian community. But Michael Rossetti, armed only with common courtesy, skillfully removed the fuse.

AIDS PROJECT DECIDES ON NEW DIRECTOR

Portland Press Herald -- Saturday, July 6, 1996
The AIDS Project has chosen Stephen T. Moskey of Cape Elizabeth as its new executive director, replacing Deborah Shields, who resigned in October.

PRIDE PARADE SYMBOLIZES ADVANCES, GROWING TOLERANCE OF MAINE'S GAYS [Portland Pride '96]

Portland Press Herald -- Sunday, June 16, 1996
Hundreds of people marched through Portland on Saturday in the 10th annual Gay Pride parade, celebrating what many see as an increasing tolerance of homosexuality in Maine.

SHOOTING SURVIVOR SHARES HER STORY [Portland Pride '96]

Portland Press Herald -- Saturday, June 15, 1996
Claudia Brenner of Ithaca, N.Y., is the keynote speaker at the. Portland Pride kick-off rally in front of Portland City Hall.

DALE McCORMICK LOSES IN VERY CLOSE PRIMARY RACE

Portland Press Herald -- Wednesday, June 12, 1996
McCormick had held a slim lead over Allen throughout most of Tuesday night.
But at 12:30 a.m., Allen took the lead for the first time. The closeness of the race surprised political observers, who had predicted that Allen would win the contest.

CONCERNED MAINE FAMILIES ANTI-MARRIAGE BILL

June 1996
The official text of the bill as it will be presented to the legislature if Concerned Maine Families gathers enough signatures. The legislature could then either enact the bill or it will be sent to referendum.

COURT RULING VICTORY FOR EQUAL PROTECTION

Portland Press Herald Editorial -- Wednesday, May 22, 1996
The fundamental fairness of the American people and the Constitution that protects them shone through the U.S. Supreme Court decision Monday, striking down Amendment 2 in Colorado.

Supreme Court Rejects Colorado Amendment 2:
MAINE'S QUESTION 1 VIEWED AS NEW MODEL

Portland Press Herald -- Tuesday, May 21, 1996
Groups opposing gay-rights laws nationwide may try to pass laws modeled after Maine's Question 1 now that the U.S. Supreme Court has struck down Colorado's anti-gay rights amendment.

COSBY HAS TOO MUCH TIME, KING SAYS

Portland Press Herald -- Thursday, May 9, 1996
The anti-gay rights crusader, has too much time on her hands, Gov. Angus King said Wednesday.

PORTLAND DIDN'T RATE A MENTION IN A NEW GAY TRAVEL GUIDE

Casco Bay Weekly -- May 9, 1996
Fodor's, a leader in the international travel guide biz, released its groundbreaking "Gay Guide to the USA" last month. We're in there, but only as a province of Massachusetts.

GAY-BASHER'S BIGOTRY BACK IN BLOOM

Portland Press Herald -- Friday, May 3, 1996
Bill Nemitz op-ed piece on Cosby's return to beleaguer us all -

"I wish Carolyn Cosby's winter hibernation had gone on forever - or at least long enough to heal the wounds she and her Concerned Maine Families inflicted statewide last fall."


MAINE GROUP SEEKS TO BAN GAY WEDLOCK

Portland Press Herald -- Thursday, May 2, 1996
The group that proposed the unsuccessful referendum last year to prohibit local gay-rights ordinances is trying to initiate a new referendum that would outlaw homosexual marriages.

HAPPY 93RD, FRANCES PEABODY

Portland Press Herald -- Friday, April 19, 1996
A leader in efforts to help people with AIDS, she is honored by more than 400 friends and strangers with a birthday to remember.

Politics and Other Mistakes -THE RIGHT PROFILE

Casco Bay Weekly -- April 18, 1996
Corey Corbin of Gardiner wants to be the first openly gay Republican ever elected to the Maine House of Representatives. To accomplish that goal, Corbin will have to overcome not only the GOP's ingrained homophobia, but his own past support for candidates who took strong anti-gay stands.

ALLEN, MCCORMICK DEBATE REVEALS LITTLE DISAGREEMENT

Portland Press Herald -- Saturday, April 13, 1996
Tom Allen and Dale McCormick debated for nearly two hours Friday night in a jammed auditorium at Luther Bonney Hall on the Portland campus of the University of Southern Maine. The two Democratic candidates for Maine's 1st Congressional District disagreed on little during a debate Friday night and said they'd support the other if they lose the nomination.

EMBRACING GAY COUPLE, TOWN DEFIES STEREOTYPES

Maine Sunday Telegram -- Sunday April 7, 1996
Packed into the First Congregational Church, the town of Eliot bid farewell to a favorite citizen. Robert Olson . . .

To an outsider, it may be surprising that in small, traditional Eliot, Maine, a couple such as "the Bobs'' could flourish as popular, respected neighbors. National arguments over gay rights, morality debates on same-sex marriages, and continuing battles over the meaning of family values may suggest there is no room left for privacy and acceptance.

But the case of Bob Olson and Robert Ecke - a gay couple who became central to a town's life - shows otherwise.


WOMEN, GAYS GIVE McCORMICK FUNDING EDGE

Maine Sunday Telegram -- Sunday, March 17, 1996
State Sen. Dale McCormick has emerged as one of the best-funded candidates for Congress in the country, thanks to the national support she has received from women and gay-rights activists.

According to records released last week by the Federal Election Commission, McCormick has raised more money than most of the 250 other candidates who are running for the House this year.


Politics and Other Mistakes -THAT KIND OF GIRL

Casco Bay Weekly -- March 14, 1996
Quit smirking. It's time to seriously consider the possibility Dale McCormick could win the Democratic nomination for Congress in Maine's 1st District.

MAINE WON'T DISINTEGRATE

Casco Bay Weekly -- March 7, 1996
With an attached 3/14/96 Letter to the Editor from MWD Chairwoman, Pat Peard.
Reports of the death of Maine Won't Discriminate have been greatly exaggerated. MWD, the broad-based coalition that defeated the anti-gay initiative on last November's ballot, still exists, and is in the process of transforming itself into an organization prepared to spearhead future efforts to expand civil rights, including legalizing gay marriages in Maine.

STATE FINDS NO REASON TO PROBE FRAUD

Portland Press Herald -- Wednesday March 6, 1996
The Maine Attorney General's Office said Tuesday it has found no proof to support accusations by Concerned Maine Families that fraud marred last November's anti-gay rights referendum.

CIVIC LEAGUE WON'T SEEK GAY RIGHTS REFERENDUM

Portland Press Herald -- Tuesday February 26, 1996
Instead, the league will seek legislation next year to require a statewide vote if a gay rights bill comes before lawmakers, Executive Director Michael Heath said Monday.

UMAINE PLANS GAY DORMITORY

Portland Press Herald -- Tuesday February 13, 1996
The University of Maine this fall will become the seventh college in the country to open a dormitory for gay and lesbian students, the school said Monday. Proponents say the 10-room wing in Knox Hall will allow homosexuals to pursue academics with the support of those with similar lifestyles.


SAFETY IN NUMBERS (1)

Casco Bay Weekly -- February 8, 1996
Outright provides a supportive environment for youths dealing with issues of sexuality.

SAFETY IN NUMBERS (2)

Casco Bay Weekly -- February 8, 1996
What Are Kids Learning In School?

Among Outright youth who attend Portland public schools ... the consensus seems to be that intolerance toward issues of sexuality is fairly common. All described incidents of verbal abuse, intimidation, threats of being outed and physical abuse.


PORTLAND TO CONSIDER ANTI-CRUISING LAW

Portland Press Herald -- Thursday, February 8, 1996
Motorists trolling for sex partners in Portland neighborhoods would face fines of up to $500 under an anti-cruising ordinance the City Council will consider March 4.

SPEAKOUT AIMS TO CREATE ATMOSPHERE OF TOLERANCE

The Maine Times -- February 1, 1996
(The Maine Speakout Project For Equal Rights)
Surrounded by more than a dozen strangers, Mike Klaus talked openly about what he must face every day of his life as a gay man in a society that continues to treat gays as second-class citizens.

QUESTION 1's COSBY BACKS OFF ON PLEDGE TO PROVE VOTE FRAUD

Portland Press Herald -- Friday -- January 26, 1996
''As we suspected, there was no fraud. It seems to me that after 2 1/2 months she'd be able to come up with something more than four affidavits by co-workers.''

NEW ANTI-GAY RIGHTS REFERENDUM WEIGHED

Portland Press Herald --Monday, January 22, 1996
The Christian Civic League, a leader in Maine's anti-gay rights referendum last fall, is considering a new referendum that would give voters veto power over any gay rights law passed by the Legislature.

COSBY FAILS TO GIVE VOTER FRAUD EVIDENCE

Portland Press Herald -- Monday January 22, 1996
Related Story
A legislative hearing at which Carolyn Cosby had promised to reveal evidence of voter fraud in Maine's anti-gay rights referendum was held Thursday, but Cosby did not appear.

WEDDING BELLS

Casco Bay Weekly Editorial --January 18, 1996
" . . . marriage to the one you love hasn't been a special right in our society for an awfully long time - if you're heterosexual, that is. Nonetheless, this is one issue that really gets anti-gay bigots in a lather. Such marriages would undermine traditional families, they argue. They'd destroy the morals of our nation. They'd be an affront to God."

AIDS PROJECT CUTS TWO POSITIONS TO SAVE MONEY

Portland Press Herald --Friday, January 19, 1996
An $80,000 shortfall in private donations has forced The AIDS Project to lay off its coordinator of volunteers, effective today.

NO CONNECTION TO PEDOPHILIA

Kennebec Journal -- January 1996
A noteworthy Letter to the Editor refuting the suggestion that the vicious act of child molestation is normalized within gay culture and finds protection and promotion with the gay rights movement.

STATE, GROUP BATTLE OVER FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE

Portland Press Herald --Thursday, January 18, 1996
The state ethics commission has subpoenaed Concerned Maine Families' campaign finance records because of lingering questions from the group's effort to pass an anti-gay rights referendum in November.

SO-CALLED GAY RIGHTS BILL BEING WITHDRAWN

Lewiston Sun-Journal -- January 17, 1996
Fearing another bruising battle over gay rights in Maine, Lewiston Sen. Gerogette Berube said Tuesday she will withdraw her bill to prohibit same-sex marriages.

See the related story on the real gay-rights bill: December 29, 1995.


SCHOOLS UNSURE WHAT BIAS REPORT MEANS

Portland Press Herald --Wednesday, January 17, 1996
Portland schools reported 95 incidents of bias among students in the first four months of the school year, according to a new report.

LAWMAKERS SHOULD GIVE A VOLATILE ISSUE A REST

Portland Press Herald Editorial --Wednesday, January 10, 1996
Nine weeks ago, voters said 'no' to discrimination. Their decisiondeserves respect.

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