Victory! Maine voters say YES to marriage equality

On November 6, 2012, Maine voted yes to marriage equality, becoming the first state in the country to win marriage equality at the ballot. Maine Question 1, An Act to Allow Marriage Licenses For Same-Sex Couples and Protect Religious Freedom, was approved by the voters of Maine 53 to 47 percent.

GLAD Law supported this marriage equality campaign in coalition with EqualityMaine, Maine Women’s Lobby, the American Civil Liberties Union of Maine, and EngageMaine, as well as national partner organizations Freedom to Marry, the Human Rights Campaign, and the Task Force.

The road to marriage equality in Maine began 6 years prior with a coalition decision to proceed with public education efforts and marriage legislation. In 2009, Maine became the first state to pass marriage equality legislation and have it signed by a governor. The victory was rescinded in November 2009 when voters approved a ballot question vetoing that law before it went into effect. The coalition regrouped, ran a two-year public education campaign, and decided in January 2012 to proceed directly to ballot.

The law took effect on December 29, 2012.