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Advocates praise passage, signing of shield law that will protect Maine providers of reproductive care and care for transgender people from out-of-state attacks

Maine joins more than a dozen states in enacting protections as Biden administration announces similar protections for abortion patients under federal patient privacy law

(Portland, MAINE) – Governor Janet Mills has signed into law a bill that will protect Maine’s providers of reproductive care and care for transgender people from out-of-state attacks. The measure, LD 227, was approved by the legislature on April 12 and will take effect in mid-July.

Lawmakers heard from numerous Mainers and care providers who advocated for the measure in March. In the days following that public hearing, legislators faced physical et political threats along with rampant disinformation. In addition, attorneys general from 16 red states threatened legal action if Maine’s legislature continued working on the bill. As Maine Attorney General Aaron Frey stated, the bill “simply protect[s] providers of legally protected reproductive and gender-affirming health care provided in Maine from interference or retaliation from states with different policies.”

To date, 21 states across the country have enacted bans or near total bans on abortion. At least 24 states have banned access to safe and effective medical care for transgender adolescents, and some have moved to restrict access to care for transgender adults.

Mills’ signing came on the same day the Biden administration announced a new federal rule—in line with LD 227—that shields abortion patients’ medical records from being disclosed to law enforcement if the procedure is received in a state where it is legal or protected by federal law. The Biden administration’s rule is based on the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).

LD 227 passed on April 12 and was signed into law by Governor Mills on April 22. Rhode Island followed suit and Governor McKee signed a Health Care Shield bill into law in June.

LD 227 is consistent with Governor Janet Mills’ July 2022 décret exécutif safeguarding providers and patients of reproductive care in the wake of the Dobbs Supreme Court ruling overturning Roe v. Wade. It also builds on legislation passed by Maine lawmakers in June 2023 that protects reproductive health care providers from adverse actions by malpractice insurers.

Statement from Lisa Margulies, Esq., Vice President of Public Affairs, Planned Parenthood Maine Action Fund

“We applaud every lawmaker who stood up for the medical providers, patients and people of Maine and voted for this bill. We thank Governor Mills for her commitment to ensuring Mainers can safely access essential medical care and protecting our providers from hostile attacks.

Our state sends a clear message with LD 227: Maine remains a safe harbor for sexual and reproductive health care, for providers and the patients they serve. Extremists opposed to safe, legal medical care will not stop their assault on our rights, but we will not be intimidated by their attacks.

Clinicians deserve to serve their patients without fear of persecution by out-of-state politicians wholly unqualified to weigh in on personal medical decisions. Patients deserve access to health care that is safe and legal in our state. LD 227 protects our health care infrastructure from extremist attempts to take away our rights and freedoms.”

Statement from Polly Crozier, Director of Family Advocacy, GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders (GLAD)

“As politicians in more and more states seek to take away our ability to make important, private medical decisions for ourselves and our families, we must do all we can to ensure vital, standard-of-care health care remains legal and accessible. LD 227 will secure access to reproductive health care and essential health care for transgender people and will protect the dedicated practitioners who provide it in Maine.”

Statement from Mary Bonauto, Senior Director of Civil Rights and Legal Strategies, GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders

“We’re grateful to Governor Mills, to lead sponsors Representative Anne Perry and Senator Donna Bailey, and to all the legislators who focused on the need to protect our health care providers in Maine and who persisted despite the disinformation and intimidation used to try to stop this critical legislation. LD 227 ensures Maine law will govern health care in Maine and that Maine providers who provide that care are protected. This law affirms once again the State’s commitment to reproductive freedom and equality for transgender Mainers.”

Statement from Gia Drew, Executive Director, EqualityMaine

“We are thrilled to see LD 227, the shield bill, be signed into law by Governor Mills. Thanks to our pro equality and pro reproductive choice elected officials who refused to back down in the face of disinformation. This bill couldn’t come into effect at a better time, as more than 40% of states across the country have either banned or attempted to block access to reproductive care, which includes abortions, as well as transgender healthcare for minors. Thanks to our coalition partners who worked tirelessly to phone bank, lobby, and get this bill over the finish line to protect community health.”

Statement from Cait Vaughan, Interim Executive Director, Grandmothers for Reproductive Rights (GRR!)

“As an organization of older women who have invested 50+ years into advancing respect for bodily autonomy, GRR! is thrilled to learn from and work alongside transgender leaders to expand everyone’s understanding of this fundamental democratic principle. LD 227 becoming law makes us proud of Maine’s commitment to protecting health care access for all.”

Statement from Aspen Ruhlin, Community Engagement Manager, Mabel Wadsworth Center

“With the passing and signing of LD 227, Maine has unequivocally declared that both patients and providers of gender-affirming care and abortion care deserve protection. This bill will help assure not only access to care for both Mainers and those visiting, but medical privacy as well. The opposition to this bill was loud, but nowhere near as loud as truth, compassion, and care.”

Statement from George A. Hill, President and CEO, Maine Family Planning

“With gender-affirming and reproductive care under attack across the country, ensuring that individuals have the fundamental right to make informed medical choices in collaboration with trusted providers is crucial. We’re grateful to the Legislature and Governor Mills for recognizing that Maine must protect access to the high-quality, medically necessary care we and other healthcare organizations provide our patients.”

Statement from Bre Danvers-Kidman, MaineTransNet

“While the hateful rhetoric and terrorist tactics leading up to the votes point to a worrisome trend in political discourse, we are heartened by the votes to pass LD 227. Maine healthcare providers can now be assured that it is safe for them to provide evidence-based, life-saving care without fear of criminalization by the overreaching hands of out-of-state politicians. Similarly, patients seeking care in Maine can now be assured that it is safe to access the healthcare they need. The Governor and the majority of Maine lawmakers have demonstrated exceptional fortitude in the face of truly reprehensible behavior, and our state is better for it. The message is clear: Maine won’t let far-right extremism, outlandish misinformation, or even domestic terrorism stand in the way of ensuring all patients can safely access the best healthcare available here.”

Statement from Destie Hohman Sprague, Maine Women’s Lobby

“A gender-just Maine ensures that all Mainers have access to quality health care that supports their mental and physical wellbeing and bodily autonomy, including comprehensive reproductive and gender-affirming care. We celebrate the passage of LD 227, which helps us meet that goal. Still, the patterns of violence and disinformation ahead of the vote reflected the growing connections between misogyny, extremism, and anti-democratic threats and actions. We must continue to advocate for policies that protect bodily autonomy, and push back against extremist rhetoric that threatens our states’ rights and our citizens’ freedoms.”

Statement from Abbie Strout-Bentes, Executive Director, Safe Abortions for Everyone (SAFE)

“We are currently witnessing unprecedented attacks on gender-affirming care and abortion access across the country. However, we are fortunate to live in Maine, where leaders continue to see through lies and fear tactics. Today, we thank Maine’s lawmakers and advocates as Governor Mills signs LD 227, another critical bill to protect and ensure access to gender-affirming and reproductive health care.”

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Déclarations de GLAD et de Planned Parenthood sur l'adoption de la loi LD 227

Déclaration de Lisa Margulies, Esq., vice-présidente des affaires publiques du Planned Parenthood Maine Action Fund, sur le vote final visant à promulguer la loi LD 227

Merci aux législateurs qui ont, une fois de plus, déclaré haut et fort : nous protégerons les prestataires de soins de santé du Maine contre les attaques. Le projet de loi LD 227 garantira que les prestataires de soins de santé reproductive essentiels et vitaux, ainsi que les personnes transgenres, de notre État pourront continuer à exercer des soins médicaux sûrs et légaux dans le Maine, sans craindre d'actions hostiles découlant des lois d'autres États.

Nous sommes reconnaissants et fiers de tous les législateurs de l’assemblée législative qui ont enduré des menaces de violence, une rhétorique politique odieuse et une désinformation généralisée pour se lever et voter afin de protéger des soins médicaux sûrs et légaux dans le Maine.

Déclaration de Polly Crozier, directrice de la défense des droits des familles chez GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders (GLAD), sur le vote final visant à promulguer la loi LD 227

Aujourd'hui, l'assemblée législative du Maine a défendu le principe selon lequel la loi du Maine devrait régir les soins de santé dans l'État. Les habitants du Maine comprennent l'importance de confier les décisions en matière de santé aux individus, aux familles et aux médecins, et non aux responsables politiques. La loi LD 227 garantira l'accès aux soins de santé reproductive et aux soins de santé essentiels pour les personnes transgenres dans l'État et garantira que les professionnels de santé dévoués du Maine ne soient pas pénalisés par l'excès de lois hostiles venues d'autres États. Nous remercions les principales marraines du projet de loi, la sénatrice Donna Bailey et la représentante Anne Perry, ainsi que tous les membres de la Chambre des représentants et du Sénat qui se sont manifestés, se sont exprimés et ont travaillé avec diligence pour garantir l'avancement de ce projet de loi et ont voté pour son adoption définitive.

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GLAD and Planned Parenthood statements on Maine Senate vote to advance LD 227

Statement from Lisa Margulies, Esq., Vice President of Public Affairs, Planned Parenthood Maine Action Fund on the Maine State Senate’s vote to advance LD 227

“Thank you to the elected leaders in the Senate voted to protect Maine providers. Today is another proud day for Mainers. Twenty-one senators have voted to advance this bill that, at its core, is meant to protect Maine providers from hostile attacks and allow them to continue to practice essential, lifesaving medicine in our state without fear.

Extremists will continue to spread lies and hateful rhetoric about reproductive health care and care for transgender people, but today’s vote made clear that a majority of our elected leaders in the Maine State Senate will focus on the facts and act with compassion and urgency to meet our current moment with policy that is necessary and appropriate.”

Statement from Polly Crozier, Director of Family Advocacy, GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders (GLAD) on the Maine State Senate’s vote to advance LD 227

“LD 227 is a straightforward bill that will protect Maine’s dedicated health care providers and safeguard access to essential reproductive health care and health care for transgender people in Maine. We are grateful to Senator Donna Bailey for her leadership and to each of the Senators who voted today to move this important bill forward.”

Learn more about LD227

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Maine House advances bill to shield providers from out-of-state attacks

LD 227 will safeguard Maine clinicians from government overreach stemming from states that have banned reproductive care or care for transgender people

(Portland, MAINE) – In the wake of bomb threats, political attacks, and lies spread by lawmakers opposed to the measure, a majority of Maine House lawmakers today voted to advance a bill that will safeguard providers of reproductive care and care for transgender people from hostile attacks based on laws in other states.

Eighty elected leaders voted to pass LD 227, An Act Regarding Health Care in the State, sponsored by Rep. Anne Perry (D-Calais), and 70 cast votes in opposition to the measure, which has the support of Maine Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, Maine Medical Association and Maine Psychological Association, among others.

This bill aims to ensure Maine’s health care providers aren’t penalized under the laws of other states that have banned access to established, standard-of-care transgender health care and reproductive care and to ensure patients can continue to receive quality, legal, essential medical care in Maine.

To date, 21 states across the country have enacted bans or near total bans on abortion. Twenty-four states have banned access to safe and effective medical care for transgender adolescents and some have moved to restrict access to care for transgender adults.

Statement from Lisa Margulies, Esq., Vice President of Public Affairs, Planned Parenthood Maine Action Fund and Planned Parenthood of Northern New England

 “Maine is one step closer to protecting our providers of essential medical care from hostile attacks by out-of-state extremists. We applaud the 80 elected leaders who voted to advance LD 227 in the face of vile rhetoric and lies, political posturing and threats of violence.

Thankfully, reproductive care and care for transgender people remains legal in Maine. LD 227 is a necessary response to a tumultuous national landscape in which practitioners of essential and lifesaving care are under attack.

This bill is about ensuring our providers of reproductive care and care for transgender people can offer safe, legal medical care in Maine without fear of government overreach from other states.”

Statement from Polly Crozier, Director of Family Advocacy, GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders (GLAD)

“We’re grateful to Representative Perry for championing this important bill in the House, and to the 80 Representatives who understood that LD 227 will protect access to essential, standard-of-care health care and the Maine practitioners and providers who deliver it. We look forward to working next with the Senate and hope to see LD 227 advance to safeguard Maine’s health care infrastructure from hostile laws passed for political, not medical, purposes in other states.”

Learn more about LD227

Ressources scolaires | Jeunesse | Maine

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Les écoles sont censées être des lieux centrés sur l'élève, où les jeunes se sentent en sécurité et peuvent apprendre ce dont ils ont besoin pour réussir dans la vie. Pourtant, des politiciens extrémistes et des groupes nationaux bien financés tentent de faire des écoles publiques et des bibliothèques scolaires des lieux d'attaques contre les personnes LGBTQ+, en particulier les jeunes, et leurs familles.

But youth in Maine public schools have rights, and our schools have a responsibility to ensure all students, including LGBTQ+ students, are safe, supported, and able to learn. GLAD and our partners are sharing these resources on your rights as a student, parent, and educator.

Visitez notre Page « Connaissez vos droits » du Maine pour les étudiants LGBTQ+ pour en savoir plus.

Ressources du Maine

Connaissez vos droits

Non-discrimination : Maine General Laws prohibit discrimination in educational programs, opportunities and other matters based on gender identity, sex, sexual orientation, and perceived sexual orientation in Maine public schools. You can read more under GL 5 Me. Rev. Stat. sec. 4602 

Lutte contre l'intimidation : Maine has one strong anti-bullying law with strict requirements that schools must follow to protect students from a wide variety of bullying, be it physical, verbal, or online.

Orientations pour les écoles : The Maine Department of Elementary and Secondary Education has created a set of eight principles and practices to support LGBTQ youth in schools at Foundational Practices to Support LGBTQ+ Students.  

En savoir plus sur youth rights in Maine on the following Know Your Rights pages

What to do if you or your child is experiencing bullying, discrimination, or mistreatment in school 

If you believe your rights are being violated, visit our Droits des étudiants LGBTQ dans le Maine page pour en savoir plus sur les mesures que vous pouvez prendre.

About school censorship and book bans

On May 16, 2023, the ACLU and GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders (GLAD) sent a letter urging Maine public school districts to protect students’ legal rights by rejecting censorship in school libraries.

Learn more here.

Impliquez-vous dans votre communauté locale

Suivez les problèmes qui surviennent au sein de votre comité scolaire et de votre conseil municipal
Attend meetings when important issues are being discussed and even to participate in the public comment period in which School Board/Committee members listen to input from the public. It is important that they hear support for good work and good arguments for why LGBTQ+ and race-based restrictions are bad educational policy for all students.
Suivez les questions d'éducation, de programmes, de personnel, de politique, de bibliothèque et d'autres questions lors des élections scolaires et locales, ou présentez-vous vous-même aux élections.

Pour obtenir de l'aide pour parler des problèmes liés à l'éducation et aux étudiants LGBTQ+, et pour découvrir d'autres moyens d'agir, visitez Campagne pour notre avenir commun.

Organisations et ressources supplémentaires

Organisations

The Maine Department of Education provides all Maine students access to educational experiences, Pre-K through adult, that lead to their success in life and career.
The Maine Human Rights Commission prohibits discrimination on the basis of protected class in employment, housing, places of public accommodation, education, and extension of credit.
Fondation pour l'égalité des jeunes trans based in Maine serves all of New England, providing education, advocacy and support for transgender and gender non-conforming children and youth and their families.
Réseau d'action jeunesse du Maine (MYAN) est un réseau national d'adultes engagés et de jeunes passionnés qui croient au pouvoir transformateur du leadership des jeunes.
ÉgalitéMaine est l'organisation la plus ancienne et la plus grande à l'échelle de l'État dédiée à la création d'une société juste et équitable pour les lesbiennes, les gays, les bisexuels, les transgenres et les queers du Maine.

Pour plus d'organisations axées sur les jeunes, visitez Organisations de jeunesse | Maine.

Ressources supplémentaires

Want to learn more about LGBTQ+ Equality in Maine? Visit the Movement Advancement Project’s Maine Equality Profile.

Réponses GLAD

Vous avez encore des questions ? Contactez GLAD Answers pour obtenir gratuitement et confidentiellement des informations juridiques, une assistance et des orientations. Remplissez le formulaire d'admission en ligne à l'adresse suivante : GLADAnswers.org, e-mail GLADAnswers@glad.org, ou laissez un message vocal au 800-455-GLAD.

Inclusive and Consistent Data Governance in Maine

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Mise à jour: On March 28, 2024, Maine Governor Janet Mills signed LD1948 into law!

LD1948 will establish data policies according to best practices to protect privacy, provide public access, and ensure collaboration among stakeholders and the government. The bill provides a year for the development of a definition and standard for multiple demographic fields, including race, ethnicity, and sex, about which Maine already collects data, and now for sexual orientation, gender, citizenship, education, socioeconomic status, veteran status, disability status, and age.

GLAD submitted testimony in support of LD1948 alongside EqualityMaine, OUT Maine, MaineTransNet, Maine Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, Portland Outright, and the Maine Council on Aging.

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Medical organizations, advocates urge lawmakers to pass bill to protect Maine’s providers of reproductive care and essential health care for transgender people

UPDATE: The HCIFS Committee voted to advance the bill.

As Maine lawmakers prepare to hold a work session on a bill that would protect the state’s reproductive and transgender care providers from hostile out-of-state attacks, leading medical and advocacy organizations are urging elected leaders to pass the legislation.

The Maine legislature’s Health Coverage, Insurance and Financial Services (HCIFS) Committee will hold a work session on LD 227, An Act Regarding Health Care in the State, sponsored by Rep. Anne Perry (D-Calais), today at 1 pm. LD 227 aims to ensure Maine law continues to govern health care practice and access in Maine, without hostile interference from other states.

Lawmakers heard from dozens of Mainers and care providers earlier this month. They’ve also faced physical et political threats in days following that hearing. The bill, however, as Maine Attorney General Aaron Frey stated on March 12, would “simply protect providers of legally protected reproductive and gender-affirming health care provided in Maine from interference or retaliation from states with different policies.”

LD 227 would protect Maine health care practitioners who provide reproductive and transgender health care in line with the professional standards of care from investigations, subpoenas, arrests, and litigation arising from another state simply because that state has banned access to care that is legal in Maine. The bill would also protect Mainers from having their medical records or cell phone data about protected health care shared with law enforcement agencies in other states where such care is banned. LD 227 does not change what health care is available in Maine or when parental consent is required for minors to access reproductive or transgender health care.

LD 227 is supported by multiple Maine medical associations including Maine Association of Physicians Assistants, Maine Chapter, American Academy of Pediatrics, Maine Medical Association, Maine Nurse Practitioner Association, Maine Osteopathic Association, Maine Psychological Association, and National Association of Social Workers, Maine.

Statement from Lisa Margulies, Esq., Vice President of Public Affairs, Planned Parenthood Maine Action Fund and Planned Parenthood of Northern New England

“This bill is fundamentally about protecting medical care that is safe and legal in Maine. We know that people opposed to full spectrum reproductive care and care for transgender people will not stop their attempts to take away our rights. The threats our lawmakers and state have seen in the past few weeks serve as crystal clear evidence that Maine needs laws that protect providers, patients and our health care infrastructure. We urge our lawmakers to continue to stand against these attacks and vote to advance LD 227.”

Statement from Dee A. Kerry, Executive Director, American Academy of Pediatrics, Maine Chapter

“We denounce pieces of legislation passed in other states that seek to criminalize pediatricians and other physicians who provide medically necessary care to their patients. These bills are dangerous, both for patients and the pediatricians who care for them. Despite the misinformation that has proliferated regarding this bill, LD 227 is essential for ensuring that individuals in Maine have unimpeded access to gender-affirming care and reproductive health care services, and that health care practitioners can provide these services without fear of unwarranted legal consequences. By protecting these rights, Maine can set an example for upholding the principles of patient autonomy, non-discrimination, and access to necessary medical care.”

Statement from Polly Crozier, Director of Family Advocacy, GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders (GLAD)

“LD 227 is straightforward legislation to ensure that Maine law can continue to govern Maine health care. It will safeguard Maine’s health care infrastructure from hostile laws passed for political, not medical, purposes in other states and ensure Maine providers can continue to deliver high quality, standard-of-care medical care.”

Statement from Gia Drew, Executive Director, Equality Maine

“Politically motivated bans on best-practice medicine are specifically targeting gender-affirming health care. These attacks single out transgender youth by blocking access to life saving medical care, care that is backed by years of rigorous research and endorsed by every leading medical authority. We know that transgender youth thrive and can lead healthy lives as teens and eventually as adults, when they are supported by their family and can get the healthcare they need to affirm who they are. This bill would not only protect Maine’s medical providers from overreach from other states, it would secure confidential medical information, and send a powerful message to transgender people and their families that Maine can be a refuge from the current political storms raging across the country.”

Statement from Evelyn Kieltyka, Senior Vice President of Program Services, Maine Family Planning

“Gender-affirming care is under attack in other states, putting providers at risk for vigilantism from licensing boards that would use interstate compacts to penalize clinicians or from insurers that would use them to reject coverage––all the things this bill protects against. People, not politicians, should have the freedom to make their own health decisions, including when it comes to their gender and reproductive care.”

Statement from Bonnie Case, Co-Director, Mabel Wadsworth Center

“Mabel Wadsworth Center supports LD 227 because we support patients and providers. We know that people seeking gender-affirming care and reproductive care, including abortion care, deserve autonomy and agency. Trusted Maine providers deserve to confidently provide essential healthcare without worry of being targeted by political agendas from other states.”

Statement from Bre Danvers-Kidman, Executive Director, Maine TransNet

“This isn’t just about transgender healthcare or reproductive healthcare; it’s about ensuring providers in Maine can feel secure that they will be protected by the laws of this state in providing the best possible care to their patients. Letting out-of-state actors criminalize our providers would have consequences that reach far beyond those of us the opposition seeks to demonize–and they would do well to remember that.”

Statement from Destie Hohman Sprague, Executive Director, Maine Women’s Lobby

“We can’t allow violent rhetoric to stop the important work of our Legislature, or of Maine health care providers to perform legal care within their scope of practice. Passing LD 227 sends a strong message that Maine supports access to critical health care that advances gender justice. It also sends a message that extremists can’t get their way through threats of violence: our democratic process and continued work for gender equity won’t be scared away.”

Statement from Sue Campbell, Executive Director, OUT Maine

“LD 227 safeguards not just access to reproductive and transgender healthcare but the fundamental right of individuals to make informed medical choices in collaboration with trusted providers. It ensures that every person, regardless of circumstance, can confidently seek essential care, knowing they are protected and supported.”

Learn more about LD227

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Don’t let threats stop critical work and care for our communities

Our community and publicly elected allies are experiencing escalating threats and even violence as LGBTQ+ people are increasingly the subject of politicized, misleading rhetoric and punitive laws. Last Friday, International Women’s Day, this reached a despicable and unacceptable level in Maine.

In the wake of a virulent disinformation campaign by local and national anti-LGBTQ activists, opponents of LD 227 – a bill to protect Maine health care practitioners who provide legal patient care for transgender people and people seeking reproductive care – made bomb threats at the State and the personal homes of lawmakers. These threats sparked fear and disrupted the work of legislators, non-partisan staff, and Legislative Committees.

Thankfully, no bomb was found at the State House or in the homes of the legislators who sponsored LD 227. Thankfully, no one was hurt and the work of the legislature was only delayed by a few hours.

But the message, and the attempt to influence policy through intimidation, were clear: if you cannot win on the merits – win through fear.

We remain incredibly grateful to the legislators who continue their important work for all people of Maine on the many vital issues impacting them, and who now must do so in the face of these threats.

So we want to send a different message. A message of gratitude and strength. Of acknowledgment and partnership with legislators committed to making a positive difference for our State.

If you live in Maine, please email the members of the Committee on Health Coverage, Insurance and Financial Services as well as House and Senate leadership today to thank them for their work and ask them to move LD 227 forward this session.

To be clear, LD 227 is a straightforward bill. It seeks to protect Maine health care workers who provide essential, legal-in-Maine reproductive health care and transgender health care grounded in standards of care. It recognizes the very real efforts of actors outside of Maine to impose the hostile laws of other states against providers and patients in Maine. There are already 17 other states plus D.C. that have enacted shield laws for these same reasons.

We can’t allow violent rhetoric and threats to stop the important work of our legislature and of protecting our communities. We need our legislators and the public to know that we hold true to our values around caring for all people.

An essential component of that work is protecting those who provide essential, legal reproductive and transgender health care as proposed in LD 227.

There are many vital policy issues pending before the legislature this session that will make Maine safer, fairer, and more just for all people up and down our state.

One area of pressing need is increased statewide access to community-based mental and behavioral health care, as well as supports and services for substance use and addiction. These include:

LD 2237 – An Act to Strengthen Public Safety, Health and Well-being by Expanding Services and Coordinating Violence Prevention Resources
LD 1305 – Resolve, to Design and Implement a Community-based Model of Care for Adolescent Mental Health
LD 2002 – An Act to Provide Incentives to Schools That Contract for Certain Social Work and Family Therapy Services
LD 1178 – Resolve, to Reduce Barriers to Recovery from Addiction by Expanding Eligibility for Targeted Case Management Services
LD 2136 – An Act to Provide Financial Support for Shelters for Unhoused Individuals (with accompanying changes in the State Supplemental Budget)
LD 2214 – Which provides essential funding for Maine’s low barrier shelters.
LD 1779 – An Act to Develop a Continuum of Care for Youth Involved in the Justice System [proposed amendment to prevent justice involvement by law enforcement diversion to assessment rather than arrest, where appropriate]

Another is passing legislation to improve Maine’s gun safety laws, both in light of the mass shooting in Lewiston, as well as our rates of suicide by gun and domestic violence homicides involving firearms:

LD 2237 – An Act to Strengthen Public Safety, Health and Well-being by Expanding Services and Coordinating Violence Prevention Resources
LD 2224 – An Act to Strengthen Public Safety by Improving Maine’s Firearm Laws and Mental Health System
LD 2238 – An Act to Address Gun Violence in Maine by Requiring a Waiting Period for Certain Firearm Purchases

Other vital proposals would protect the right to sovereignty and self-determination of Wabanaki nations, bring to reality the commitment to teaching African American and Wabanaki History, establish a statewide data collection system, and protect the constitutional rights of defendants to legal representation.

LD 2007– An Act to Advance Self-determination for Wabanaki Nations
LD 2001 – Resolve, to Establish the African American and Wabanaki Studies Advisory Council and Provide Funding to Support African American Studies and Wabanaki Studies – to establish an advisory council with funding for content expertise and developing curricula and training)
LD 1948, An Act to Amend the State’s Data Governance Program – to develop a statewide governance plan for Maine with definitions for standards and definitions for a range of demographic characteristics, in collaboration with Secretary of State and Permanent Comm’n on the Status of Racial, Indigenous and Tribal Populations, and stakeholder consultation
LD 2214, Part WW – An Act to Make Supplemental Appropriations and Allocations [in the State Budget] for the Fiscal Years Ending June 30, 2024 and June 30, 2025 – (to support adequate funding for Maine Commission on Indigent Legal Services)

GLAD supports the passage of all of these bills, and we are proud to collaborate with so many partners in Maine, including Planned Parenthood of Northern New England on LD 227. We need action on LD 227 NOW to keep it moving forward despite the use of intimidation to defeat it, and we need to add our voices to support for other bills that are vital to keeping Maine a welcoming and safe place for all. Your calls and emails to legislators matter enormously.

Please email the members of the Committee on Health Coverage, Insurance and Financial Services (HCIFS) as well as House and Senate leadership to thank them for their work and to ask them to advance LD 227 and these other important bills in this session.

Thank you for taking action and thank you for all you do to ensure LGBTQ+ people, and all people, can be healthy, happy, and safe.

Blog

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Par Polly Crozier, Director of Family Advocacy

The ideological effort to roll back the clock on autonomy and equal rights for LGBTQ+ people and all women hit another milestone recently when the Alabama Supreme Court issued an alarming decision saying that frozen embryos are children, shutting down access to IVF in the state and sending shockwaves across the country. The resulting legislative “fix” in Alabama was no fix and further undermined hopeful parents and their efforts to build their families.

It was a staggeringly clear example of increasing efforts to control our lives and our most personal decisions: to cut off access to fertility healthcare, ban contraception, outlaw abortion in any form without exception, end access to critical healthcare for transgender people, preclude the formation of LGBTQ+ families, and even ban no-fault divorce and take the freedom to marry away from same-sex couples.

But as the outcry against that Alabama ruling shows, people across the country are saying no to that agenda of fear and control.

At GLAD, we are fighting alongside our partners and allies every day to protect our hard-won rights and push back against these attacks, so we can all live how we deserve to – freely, authentically, and joyfully.

In the past week alone, GLAD has:

Advocated in state houses for crucial shield bills to protect access to reproductive and transgender healthcare dans Maine et Rhode Island, while we continue our federal legal challenges to bans on essential healthcare for transgender people in Alabama and Florida. These important bills would build on GLAD’s work to pass shield laws in Massachusetts (2022) and Vermont (2023).
Championed equitable coverage for fertility healthcare before multiple Connecticut legislative committees, so that Connecticut law reflects the standard of care ensuring LGBTQ+ people and single people on private insurance and Medicaid have access to the healthcare they need to build their families. GLAD was invited to appear with U.S. Senator Blumenthal to advocate not only for the Connecticut legislation but also for the federal Access to Family Building Act that seeks a national right to fertility healthcare.
Continued our work to update parentage laws in all states so that children of LGBTQ+ parents and children born through assisted reproduction are secure. We appeared in support of the Michigan Family Protection Act, which would repeal Michigan’s criminal ban on surrogacy and ensure protections for children born through assisted reproduction and surrogacy, in the state senate, and hope to see that bill, and a similar bill in Massachusetts, signed into law this session. As we see legislative and court actions put our families at risk, we must pass robust parentage bills like these to protect children and parents.
As the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit heard arguments Monday in Braidwood c. Becerra, a case about whether health insurers will have to continue to cover highly effective preventatives like HIV PrEP without copays or deductibles, our friend-of-the-court brief warned that upholding the lower court’s ruling would result in tens of thousands of preventable new HIV cases. CONTENT continues to advocate for legislation to remove barriers to PrEP and address the racial disparities in access, including making PrEP available through pharmacies and without insurance prior authorization requirements which create unnecessary delays.

The agenda of fear and control won’t win.

With your support today and in the days to come, together we can protect our access to essential healthcare, our right to build our families, and our freedom to make important, personal decisions about our own lives.

News you may have missed:

Boston Review: GLAD Senior Director of Transgender and Queer Rights Jennifer Levi and NCLR Legal Director Shannon Minter in conversation about the decades-long fight for transgender rights

MassLive: Highlighting LGBTQ+ leaders in Massachusetts, including GLAD Director of Family Advocacy Polly Crozier and GLAD Board Member and CEO of TransHealth Dallas Ducar

Protecting Access to Health Care in Maine

Maison » Maine » Page 3

Victory: The Maine House et Senate voted to advance the bill, and on April, 22, 2024 the bill was signed into law! Maine residents, thank legislators for supporting this vital legislation.

Transgender and reproductive health care is safe, well-established, standard-of-care medicine. Yet, over 20 states across the country have passed hostile laws restricting access to this health care for political, not medical, reasons.

LD 227, “An Act Regarding Health Care in the State,” will protect access to health care that is legal in Maine and ensure Maine providers can continue to deliver high-quality health care to people who come to Maine who are unable to access this care in their state.

This bill is similar to shield bills that have passed in Massachusetts, Vermont, and other states.