MAINE LESBIAN/GAY POLITICAL ALLIANCE PO BOX 232 HALLOWELL ME 04347 TOLL FREE: 1-800-55-MLGPA April 10, 1995 Dear Friends, We are writing to tell you about the decision to not introduce the anti-discrimination bill this year, You may have already heard the news but we wanted to make sure you understood how the decision was made. The story starts with the pro-discrimination referendum proposed by Concerned Maine Families (CMF) that will be on the ballot this November. The Maine Constitution states that if the citizens initiate a referendum on a particular subject _and_ the legislature passes a law that deals with the same subject (all in the same year) that the referendum and the law must appear on the ballot together. The legislative bill is considered a "competing measure" with the citizen initiated *eferendum. Legal experts agree that the anti-discrimination bill, if passed by the legislature and signed into law by Governor King, would indeed be considered a "competing measure" with the referendum. The form in which the questions must appear on the ballot is as follows: A. the referendum B. the anti-discrimination bill C. none of the above If, after the election, none of the questions received a majority (51% or more) of the votes, a second election would be held to vote again on the two highest vote getters - a second referendum! Surveys show that up to 80% of the people who read the referendum question do not understand its meaning. The referendum intends to deny lesbians, gays, and bisexuals basic rights now and forever. We will be asking people to vote No on the referendum question. A No vote means that you do not agree with CMF's attempt to deny lesbians, gays, and bisexuals basic rights. If the anti-discrimination bill were also to appear on the ballot, we would have been asking people to vote Yes. A Yes vote would have meant that you agree with the legislature that lesbians, gays, and bisexuals do in fact suffer discrimination in Maine and need to be protected from those who seek to discriminate against us. Or, people could have chosen Question C, None of the Above. Confused yet? Because of CMF's purposely confusing referendum question, we believe that voters would have been totally confused (and in fact angered) by Question A (the referendum question) and so would have chosen C, None of the Above. After much consultation with Pat Ryan of the Maine Human Rights Commission and the bill's prime sponsor, Senator Dale McCormick, we determined with great regret and frustration, that the best course of action was to not introduce the anti-discrimination bill this year. The irony is that this year we have strong support for the bill in both the House and Senate, and a commitment from Governor King that he will sign an anti-discrimination bill into law. Successful passage of the bill, after years of hard work by ML/GPA and our supporters, was within reach this year ... but now must be postponed. The decision, a strategic necessity, was a painful one. It means equality is postponed. So where do we go from here? Our original plan was to pass the anti-discrimination bill this spring, then fight the referendum in November. The timetable is now reversed. We must all focus our attention on the defeat of the referendum in November and then, when the referendum is defeated, turn our attention to the passage of a statewide anti-discrimination bill. I encourage you to join in this effort . . . Here's how you can help: *** Come to the Augusta Civic Center on Tuesday, May 2nd at 2:00 p.m. for the Public Hearing on the referendum bill, L.D. 310 (see enclosed notice). *** If you have personal testimony of anti-gay/lesbian violence or discrimination and would be willing to testify at the Hearing, call Karen Geraghty at 1-800-556-5472 or 761-3732 in Greater Portland. *** Attend the next ML/GPA meeting on April 15 in Augusta at the Unitarian Universalist Church from 12-3pm *** Join other members of your local community by attending a Maine Won't Discriminate meeting in your area. (see attached listing of area chapters or call the MWD office at 1-800-761-1788) *** Contact your senator and representative and tell them you oppose the pro-discrimination referendum. *** Most importantly, don't assume that there are enough hands already doing this work - there are never enough. We need your help today! I hope this letter has helped to explain the decision to not move forward this year with the anti-discrimination bill. But united, we will succeed in defeating the referendum, and then passing the bill. [signed] Karen Geraghty [hand written at bottom:] "P.S. Please come to the hearing - we need your support!" _________________________ The text of the bill, the hearing date and surrounding events; and the list of MWD chapters are on the Maine Gay Network Home Page - http://www.qrd.org/QRD/www/usa/maine/gaynet.html I'm considering posting the "DISCRIMINATION AND VIOLENCE SURVEY OF GAY PEOPLE IN MAINE" Any suggestions? This is a questionaire to be filled out and returned to MLGPA.