Source: Bangor Daily News, PolitickerME, MaineToday, Equality Maine press release
AUGUSTA, Maine -- A state senator from Hancock County will sponsor a bill to allow gay and lesbian couples to marry in Maine.

Sen. Dennis S. Damon, D-Trenton, announced at a press conference this afternoon that he is submitting legislation that would recognize marriage rights for all couples in the state.

He was flanked at the press conference by by same-sex couples that want to marry and obtain the same legal protections afforded men and women who tie the knot in Maine.

"Maine's same-sex couples want and deserve the dignity, respect and legal protections of civil marriage," said Betsy Smith in a prepared statement. She is executive director of Equality Maine, the state's largest LGBT rights group. "They want to be able to solidify their families here, where they live, work, worship, pay taxes, raise children and care for aging parents," Smith said.

Marriage equality bill unveiled in Maine [contd.]

Damon said that his bill will also specifically affirm religious freedom. He pointed out that religious institutions will continue to have control over their own religious doctrine and teachings regarding who may marry within each faith as set forth in the Maine and U.S. Constitutions.

The bill would also recognize marriages from other states by removing a barrier that Damon said is akin to those enacted to prohibit mixed-race marriages a generation ago. Lesbian and gay couples can currently get married in Massachusetts and Connecticut. Thousands of gay and lesbian couples were also married in California before that state withdrew the right to marry through passage of Proposition 8 in November.

Damon was also joined by members of the Maine Freedom to Marry Coalition which is made up of the Equality Maine, Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders (GLAD), the Maine Civil Liberties Union, and the Maine Women’s Lobby.

The coalition was formed to carry out what they called a coordinated plan for education and advocacy on marriage equality.

"For the past three years, EqualityMaine has been involved in a public education campaign about civil marriage equality," Smith said in a statement. "After careful consideration, we realized the time was right for this legislation."

Last November on election day, EqualityMaine sent out 350 volunteers to 86 polling places, asking residents to sign postcards supporting same-sex marriage that would be sent to legislators. The goal was 10,000 signatures, and they collected 33,190, said Smith.

"We have pro-equality majorities in both houses of the Legislature and a strong coalition of partners," Smith said in the statement.

The Maine Marriage Alliance, a group that supports special rights to marriage for only some couples, said it will submit a bill that would call for an amendment to the Maine Constitution that would define marriage as between a man and woman and ban same-sex marriage, Bangor Daily News reports.

Other opponents, including the Catholic Diocese of Portland and the Maine Family Policy Council, said they will fight the bill as it goes through the legislative process, MaineToday reports.

Damon recently sponsored an amendment to extend to domestic partners the protections currently provided in Maine's Family Medical Leave law.

Source: Gay rights groups unveil marriage bill | Bangor Daily News 
Maine Legislature: Bill would extend civil marriage rights to same-sex couples | PolitickerME
Gay marriage bill to go before lawmakers | Maine Today
EqualityMaine Announces Bill for Civil Marriage Equality | Equality Maine press release

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