Maine Know Your Rights - Page 9 of 16 - GLAD Law
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Nouvèl

The complaint, filed by GLAD on behalf of a 78-year-old woman who was denied a room by Sunrise Assisted Living because she is transgender, is the first such legal claim of discrimination brought in the U.S. against a senior long-term care facility.

October 21, 2021, AUGUSTA – GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders (GLAD) today filed a discrimination claim with the Maine Human Rights Commission on behalf of a 78-year-old woman who was denied a room by Sunrise Assisted Living in Jonesport, Maine because she is transgender. It is the first known discrimination complaint filed in the U.S. by a transgender older adult against a long-term care facility. The complainant is being represented by GLAD attorneys Ben Klein, Chris Erchull and Mary Bonauto. In the spring of 2021, the complainant, who is being identified publicly as Jane Doe, was admitted to Pen Bay Medical Center for an acute medical emergency. Once Ms. Doe’s health was stabilized, the medical staff determined she did not require in-patient care and needed placement in an assisted living facility. A hospital social worker contacted Sunrise Assisted Living on Ms. Doe’s behalf and was told they had rooms available. Upon learning that Ms. Doe is transgender, however, the Administrator at Sunrise informed the hospital they would not admit Ms. Doe because they were concerned she wanted to reside in a room with a female roommate, despite the fact that Sunrise regularly places women in semi-private rooms with other women. The claim brought by GLAD on Jane Doe’s behalf asserts that Sunrise discriminated against Ms. Doe on the basis of her gender identity, transgender status, and her sex, all explicitly protected under the Maine Human Rights Act. “Our client, like many older people, urgently needed an assisted living facility like Sunrise,” said Avoka Senior GLAD Ben Klein. “She simply wants to be treated with dignity, compassion and understanding as she ages, like anyone else. Maine, like 21 other states, has added gender identity to its nondiscrimination laws precisely to address this kind of discrimination and the profound harm transgender people like Ms. Doe experience when it occurs.” “The people of Maine are known for making room at the table,” added GLAD Staff Attorney Chris Erchull. “Sunrise lost that perspective by excluding Ms. Doe because of who she is. This lawsuit reinforces the core values of long-term care providers: that all of us are entitled to dignity and respect as we age. Being denied a room at Sunrise because she is transgender also forced Ms. Doe to remain in the hospital longer than was recommended by her medical team.” “I just wanted to be treated like a human being,” said Ms. Doe. “I don’t want anybody else to be turned away for care they need because they are transgender. I want people to understand we are people living our lives as best we can and they can’t do that to somebody.” Research indicates that transgender older adults are as likely as or even more likely than other older adults to require long-term care, including assisted living, because a long history of exclusion and lack of care leads to adverse health consequences. Yet as Ms. Doe’s case exemplifies, transgender adults continue to face systemic and widespread discrimination when seeking care and support as they age. GLAD Civil Rights Project Director Mary Bonauto, a Maine attorney, added, “We get that not everyone knows transgender people and some have discomfort. In the end, this case is about common-sense values: how would we want to be treated, and how do we treat each other? Care providers in long term care facilities know how to welcome in and treat people from all walks of life with courtesy and respect. That’s all this woman asked for, and that is what the law requires.” Aprann plis bagay sou Doe v. Sunrise Assisted Living.

Nouvèl

Maine Youth Justice (MYJ), the ACLU of Maine, and GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders (GLAD) are calling on Governor Mills to act with urgency to close Maine’s only youth prison.

The call comes after revelations that guards at Long Creek used a dangerous restraint, known to create a risk of serious injury or death, on multiple occasions last month to subdue incarcerated young people.

Last session, MYJ led the effort to pass LD 1668 — a bill to develop a plan to close Long Creek and divert resources to community-based services — in the state legislature, which the ACLU and GLAD supported.

LD 1668 passed in both chambers of the legislature, but Governor Mills vetoed the bill.

 

Leyla Hashi, communications coordinator, Maine Youth Justice

“This is yet another example of why closing Long Creek is long overdue. No youth prison will keep Maine’s communities any safer, and Long Creek consistently exacerbates a cycle of extreme harm against our most vulnerable youth. There is no fixing it. There is no reforming it. We need to SHUT this facility DOWN.

“We urge Maine state legislators and the governor to take action to close Long Creek. One more day is too long to wait as kids in Long Creek continue to suffer physical and psychological trauma from the cruel realities of incarceration.”

 

Alison Beyea, executive director, ACLU of Maine

“These revelations are the latest in a series of unconscionable acts of violence against young people detained at Long Creek. The entire project of incarcerating young people is violent, and it must end now. Children do not belong in prison.

“Governor Mills had the opportunity to close Long Creek earlier this year by signing LD 1668 into law. But she vetoed the bill, saying it didn’t account for public safety. We disagree. Long Creek’s continued operation degrades public safety. Incarceration traumatizes young people, especially LGBTQ youth and youth of color who are overrepresented at Long Creek.

“Public safety means no kids in prison. It means kids receiving the help and support they need, close to home, so that they can lead thriving lives. Despite her veto, Governor Mills has the power to close Long Creek. She should use it.”

 

Mary Bonauto, Direktè Pwojè Dwa Sivil GLAD la

“Reports issued to the State on conditions at Long Creek in 2017 and again in 2020 highlighted concerns regarding the use of restraints, absent or inconsistent staff training, and the failure of the adults to use de-escalation techniques and bring in mental health counselors rather than force. It was not long ago that the State settled an excessive force case brought by the ACLU of Maine on behalf of an 11-year-old who had his face slammed into a metal bed frame by correctional officers. These young people are entrusted to the care of the State of Maine.

“For any number of reasons, and despite good faith efforts by many involved, Long Creek is not working and not providing rehabilitation. The legislature agreed in the last session, as shown by the passage of LD 1668, which set out a years-long plan for closing Long Creek and justly transitioning workers employed there. These concerns remain, and the State needs to provide immediate oversight to end this brutal treatment now.”

 

Aprann plis bagay sou Maine Youth Justice epi ACLU nan Maine.

Viktwa pou Egalite Transjan pandan Sesyon Lejislatif Maine nan Fen

Pwopozisyon ki te vize esklizyon tifi ak fanm transganr nan espò ak abri yo te rejte nan sesyon 2021 an.

GLAD, Equality Maine, MaineTrans.Net, ACLU ME, ME Women's Lobby

20 Jiyè 2021 (AUGUSTA) – Sena Maine nan te leve sesyon an yè swa san l pa t pran yon pwopozisyon ki ta entèdi tifi transganr yo patisipe nan espò lekòl (LD 926), kidonk li te anile mezi a. Chanm Reprezantan an te vote kont pwojè lwa a an jen anvan vakans lan. Yon lòt pwojè lwa (LD 1238) ki ta pèmèt abri yo refize fanm transganr oswa nenpòt fanm akoz ras yo, orijin nasyonal yo, relijyon yo, andikap yo, oswa oryantasyon seksyèl yo te rejte tou nan Chanm Reprezantan an ak Sena a an jen.

EqualityMaine, MaineTransNet, GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders (GLAD), ACLU of Maine, Maine Women's Lobby, ak chapit Maine nan American Academy of Pediatrics te pibliye deklarasyon sa yo pou anonse defèt tou de mezi yo:

Gia Drew, Direktè Pwogram nan EqualityMaine: "Yon lòt fwa ankò, moun Maine yo te kanpe pou jistis lè yo te di non a pwopozisyon danjere ki ta entèdi tifi transganr yo patisipe nan espò lekòl epi refize fanm transganr yo aksè a lojman ak sèvis sosyal vital. Jan elèv yo, paran yo, antrenè yo ak pedyat yo te temwaye, tifi transganr ki pratike espò tou senpleman vle e merite menm opòtinite ak lòt timoun parèy yo pou yo fè pati yon ekip, pou yo santi yo fè pati yon ekip, epi pou yo devlope kalite enpòtan tankou lidèchip, respè pou tèt yo ak travay ann ekip. Lejislati Maine nan te voye yon mesaj bay timoun transganr yo pou yo fè pati yon ekip."

Quinn Gormley, Direktè Egzekitif, MaineTransNet: “Mwen fyè pou m wè lejislatè Maine nou yo sipòte enklizyon pou tifi ak fanm transganr yo. Mwen byen konnen grasa pwòp travay mwen nan kominote a ke fanm transganr yo fè eksperyans kèk nan pi gwo pousantaj ensekirite lojman, arasman ak vyolans pami fanm nan Maine. Toujou gen plis travay eta nou an ka fè pou asire rezo sèvis sosyal nou yo ka sipòte tout fanm nan moman bezwen, men lè lejislati a te defèt LD 1238 la, li te rekonèt ke pèmèt abri yo vire do bay kèk nan manm kominote nou yo ki pi vilnerab se kont objektif sa a.”

Meagan Sway, Direktè Politik, ACLU nan Maine: “Se yon soulajman pou wè lejislati a sispann pwojè lwa sa yo ki pa byen dirije ki vize tifi ak fanm transjèn yo. Efò pou entèdi tifi trans yo patisipe nan espò fi yo mete sante mantal yo, byennèt fizik yo, ak kapasite yo pou jwenn aksè a opòtinite edikasyon menm jan ak lòt elèv yo an danje. Efò pou entèdi fanm trans yo antre nan abri yo ta refize abri a kèk nan manm kominote nou yo ki pi vilnerab lè yo pi bezwen èd. Jodi a, eta nou an te konfime verite a ankò: tout timoun ak granmoun, ki gen ladan timoun trans ak moun trans, fè pati Maine.”

Mary L. Bonauto, Direktè Pwojè Dwa Sivil GLAD la "Nou tout bay ekite ak opòtinite pou tifi yo enpòtans, men entèdiksyon pou tifi transganr yo nan tout pwogram ak aktivite depi lekòl matènèl rive nan inivèsite se sèlman yon kesyon esklizyon. Nou kontan ke lejislati a te wè entèdiksyon espò yo pwopoze a kòm yon distraksyon ki pa t ap jenere okenn nouvo opòtinite pou tifi cisgenr yo, men ki t ap fè jèn transganr yo mal anpil. Maine te gen atlèt transganr k ap patisipe nan espò pandan plizyè ane, tankou anba yon règleman 2013 pou espò entèskolè Asosyasyon Direktè Lekòl Maine yo. Pèmèt jèn yo devlope epi grandi kòm moun atravè patisipasyon nan espò se yon bon bagay pou yo epi lè yo pi fò, kominote nou yo pi fò tou."

Destie Hohman Sprague, Direktè Egzekitif, Maine Women's Lobby: "Avèk vòt sa yo, lejislati a te afime yon reyalite senp: chak moun nan Maine merite viv nan sekirite ak respè. Pou moun ki sibi abi oswa ensekirite lojman, òganizasyon kominotè yo ede ranpli espas sa a. Òganizasyon ki egziste pou asire sekirite sa a se egzakteman bon kote pou akeyi ak afime moun trans nan Maine, epi pa gen plas pou lejislasyon nan eta nou an ki pa garanti dwa tout moun pou yo viv nan diyite, san abi."

Dee Kerry, Direktè Egzekitif, Chapit Maine nan Akademi Ameriken pou Pedyatri: “Nou bat bravo pou lejislati eta a paske li respekte dwa timoun transganr yo pou yo ka jwe nan ekip selon sèks yo. Majorite jèn pwojè lwa sa a t ap fè mal yo se timoun ki gen laj lekòl ki jis vle jwe nan yon ekip espòtif epi pran plezi. Antanke pedyat, nou pral toujou defann sante ak byennèt tout timoun epi defann dwa yo pou yo viv yon lavi konplè ak an sante. Tandans pou lejislasyon anti-transganr k ap prezante ak adopte atravè peyi a se yon bagay ki alarmant epi lejislatè Maine yo montre ke diskriminasyon pa gen plas nan eta nou an.”

Nan yon odyans piblik sou pwojè lwa sa yo nan dat 6 me a, jèn transganr ak fanmi yo, elèv atlèt ki pa transganr, antrenè, pedyat, administratè lekòl, founisè sèvis abri, travayè sosyal, defansè kominote a, ak plis ankò, tout te bay temwayaj pwisan kont entèdiksyon espò pou elèv transganr yo ak pwojè lwa abri ki esklizyone a:

Lane J., elèv dezyèm ane lekòl segondè Kittery ak jwè foutbòl: Mwen vrèman renmen espò foutbòl la. Mwen te jwe nan ekip foutbòl fi pandan 5 dènye ane yo. Jwe foutbòl te toujou pi bon moman nan jounen mwen chak ete ak otòn: se opòtinite mwen pou m fè egzèsis, pou m kolabore ak lòt fi ki gen menm pasyon an, epi jis pran plezi. Antrenè mwen yo ak koekipye mwen yo te aksepte m nèt. Tanpri pa refize lòt fi transganr opòtinite pou yo fè eksperyans sa yo, ak kapasite pou yo fè pati yon ekip, pran plezi, aktif, epi aprann sou lespri espòtif.

Doktè Michele LaBotz, doktè medsin espò pou plis pase 20 ane: Patisipasyon tifi transjèn yo nan ekip atletik tifi yo pa dezavantaje koekipyè yo. Pèfòmans atletik depann de plizyè faktè tankou fizyolojik, mantal ak sosyal. Pi bon pratik pou devlopman elèv-atlèt se lè siksè baze sou kwasans konpetans atletik yon ekip oswa yon moun, olye de tantativ pou elimine patisipan lejitim yo akòz enkyetid sou posib pèt avantaj pèfòmans.

Gianna Romano, Antrenè Asistan ak ansyen atlèt lekòl segondè: [Si yo te entèdi tifi transjèn yo patisipe nan espò fi yo lè m t ap jwe a] Mwen pa t ap ka jwe ditou. Nan moman sa a, kantite moun nou yo t ap bese epi nou te bezwen nenpòt moun ki te vle eseye espò a. Nan yon moman kote lekòl yo oblije mete ekip ansanm epi kolabore pou diferan espò, mwen pa konprann poukisa nou ta menm ap konsidere yon lwa ki t ap fè li pi difisil pou atire patisipan yo.

Ali Lovejoy, Vis Prezidan Travay Sosyal, Preble Street: Pou di ke nou dwe chwazi swa sekirite fanm cisgenre yo oswa sekirite fanm transgenre yo se yon fo chwa... Enpak pwojè lwa sa a se ta pou eskli sistematikman fanm yo - fanm ki fè eksperyans pi gwo pousantaj twomatis, vyolans, ak sanzabri - nan resous ki pi fondamantal ki nesesè pou yo rete vivan.

Andrea Mancuso, Kowalisyon Maine pou Mete Fen nan Vyolans Domestik: Nou konnen grasa plizyè dizèn ane eksperyans ke kontinye aplike règleman diskriminatwa kont nenpòt gwoup idantite pa ogmante sekirite nan pwogram abri yo. Nenpòt konpòtman deranjan ki ta ka rive nan yon abri ka trete anba règleman abri ki deja egziste yo ki aplike pou tout rezidan yo egalman.

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Equality Maine ap travay pou asire egalite total pou moun lesbyèn, ge, biseksyèl, ak transganr nan Maine atravè aksyon politik, òganizasyon kominotè, edikasyon, ak kolaborasyon. www.equalitymaine.org

MaineTransNet se òganizasyon kominotè transganr Maine nan ki dedye a sipòte ak bay moun transganr yo ak moun ki renmen yo pouvwa. www.mainetrans.net

ACLU nan Maine se gadyen libète eta a. Li aktif nan tribinal yo, nan lejislati a, ak nan esfè piblik la pou defann Konstitisyon an ak Deklarasyon Dwa yo, epi pou pwolonje pwomès yo bay tout Maines yo. www.aclumaine.org

Atravè litij estratejik, defans politik piblik, ak edikasyon, GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders ap travay nan New England ak nan tout peyi a pou kreye yon sosyete jis san diskriminasyon ki baze sou idantite ak ekspresyon sèks, estati VIH, ak oryantasyon seksyèl. www.gladlaw.org

Lòbi Fanm Maine lan angaje l nan defans lejislatif ki ogmante sante, byennèt, sekirite ak pwoteksyon ekonomik fanm ak tifi nan Maine, ak tout moun Maine ki sibi diskriminasyon oswa opresyon ki baze sou sèks. www.mainewomen.org

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Ane sa a, nan Jounen Give OUT la, nou vle di mèsi a tout sipòtè nou yo paske yo te la pou nou pandan tout ane a. Nou vle pataje lanmou a tou lè nou ankouraje sipòtè GLAD yo pou yo aprann sou gwoup k ap fè travay enpòtan toupre w.

Lis sa a prezante kèk nan patnè nou yo nan New England ak lòt òganizasyon ke nou vle mete aksan sou travay inovatè yo. Nou remèsye nou sensèman – nou pa t ap ka fè travay sa a san ou.

Pwojè Espas Afimasyon

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Nouvèl Anpshire

Pwojè Affirming Spaces (ASP), ki pwograme pou lanse an Out 2021, pral sèvi kominote trans ak GNC nan NH, sitou lè li konekte moun TGNC yo ak biznis ak sèvis lokal ki aksepte TGNC yo. ASP gen plan tou pou angaje l nan edikasyon ak defans kominote a.

Fè yon don pou Pwojè Espas ki Afime yo

Coyote RI

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Rhode Island

Coyote, ki vle di "Call Off Your Old Tired Ethics," te fonde okòmansman an 1973 pa Margo St. James, ki te depoze epi genyen yon pwosè aksyon kolektif an 1979 pou dekriminalize travay sèks andedan kay nan Rhode Island. Coyote, ki te rekòmanse aktivis li an 2010 an repons a kriminalizasyon konplè pwostitisyon nan Rhode Island an 2009, se yon kowalisyon travayè sèks aktyèl ak ansyen ki defann dwa imen, sante, travay ak dwa sivil travayè sèks nan Rhode Island ak atravè peyi a.

Fè yon don pou Coyote RI

Kwen Kiltirèl Kamora a

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Hartford, CT

Kamora Herrington, aktivis la, te fonde Kamora's Cultural Corner (KCC). Li santre sou atis LGBTQ+ nwa yo ak pèspektiv yo, li kreye espas entansyonèlman pou bati kominote, gerizon, ak koneksyon atravè atizay queer nwa. Nan mwa novanm 2020, KCC te òganize yon "Black Art Heals Tour" pou ekspoze atizay yo nan tout Sidès la.

Fè yon don pou Kwen Kiltirèl Kamora a

Maine Anndan Deyò

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Pòtlàn, ME

Maine Inside Out (MIO), fonde an 2008, òganize pwogram teyat nan Long Creek Youth Development Center, sant koreksyon pou jèn nan Maine. MIO kontinye angaje jèn yo lè yo lage nan Long Creek atravè angajman kominotè, sipò kanmarad ak granmoun, defans enterè patisipan yo, devlopman lidèchip, ak ranfòsman konpetans pratik.

Fè yon don pou Maine Inside Out

Deyò nan ouvè a

Out in the Open Logo

Brattleboro, Vermont

Out in the Open se yon mouvman jistis sosyal ki gen plizyè pwoblèm ladan l ki konekte moun LGBTQ nan zòn riral yo pou konstwi kominote, vizibilite, konesans ak pouvwa. Ane pase a, Out in the Open te òganize yon Rezo Sipò Swen Kominotè Riral pou bay èd mityèl bay kominote LGBTQ+ VT nan zòn riral la pandan pandemi Covid-19 la.

Fè yon don pou Out in the Open

Deyò Kounye a

Out Now Logo

Springfield, MA

Out Now, fonde an 1995, bay yon espas an sekirite pou jèn LGBTQ+ yo aprann epi eksplore tèt yo ak istwa mouvman LGBTQ+ la pandan y ap devlope ladrès lidèchip. Anpil pwogram Out Now yo gen ladan yon atelye Liberasyon nou! Teyat moun ki oprime yo.

Fè yon don pou Out Now

Sè yo Dechaine

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Plèn Jamayik, MA

Sisters Unchained, yon òganizasyon ki te fonde an 2015 pa Ayana Aubourg, Meron Teklehaimanot, ak Vanessa Ly, bay yon espas an sekirite pou pitit fi manman ki te nan prizon anvan oswa kounye a, pou yo ka geri epi reyalize chanjman sosyal transfòmatè. Sisters Unchained se yon òganizasyon abolisyonis prizon ki sipòte altènativ kominotè pou prizon.

Fè yon don pou Sisters Unchained

Rezo TGI RI a

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Pwovidans, Rhode Island

Rezo TGI a te fonde an 2011 epi li sèvi moun trans, entèseks, ak moun GNC (TGI) nan Rhode Island atravè sipò, defans dwa, ak edikasyon. Kounye a, Rezo TGI a ofri twa gwoup sipò dirije pa kanmarad pou moun ki an dout, moun TGI, ak moun yo renmen yo.

Fè yon don pou Rezo TGI nan RI

Governor Mills Signs Juvenile Justice Right to Counsel and Due Process Bill

Governor Mills has signed LD 320 An Act to Provide the Right to Counsel for Juveniles and Improve Due Process for Juveniles into law. The law applies needed reforms to Maine’s juvenile legal system that will divert young children from incarceration and ensure that when youth are incarcerated they have an advocate in their corner able to articulate their concerns and ask for a closer look at their circumstances.

LD 320 will provide justice-involved youth with both the right to counsel upon incarceration and due process rights to seek alternatives to incarceration. It sets a minimum age of twelve for commitment to a juvenile correctional facility and provides that younger children may be detained no more than 7 days unless their lawyers agree. The bill ends the minimum one-year commitment to juvenile correctional facilities and requires judges to consider both the age of a young person and whether the offense committed would be considered a juvenile misdemeanor when deciding whether incarceration is appropriate. Rep. Victoria Morales of South Portland, who represents the District containing Long Creek Youth Development Center, sponsored the bill.

Mary L. Bonauto, GLAD’s Civil Rights Project Director, issued the following statement applauding the signing of the bill:

“Among our highest duties as a society is the care and support of young people. This is a step forward in shrinking the role of the criminal justice system in young people’s lives. LD 320 seeks to limit the use of secure confinement for Maine’s youngest children and provides all incarcerated young people with legal representation to seek the care, opportunities and support they need to be accountable, heal, and grow in healthy ways. This law recognizes that punitive measures are harmful and counterproductive to these goals and to public safety. Too many LGBTQ youth, youth of color, youth with disabilities, youth with limited financial means, and youth belonging to all of these categories, are pulled into the correctional system with unintended but significant long-term consequences. Most often, youth become entangled in the system for low level offenses and because there are no community services in place to keep them in their communities and connected to family and school. We’ve had many reports detailing the negative impacts of incarceration on children and their communities as well as recommendations for what our state needs to do to address those impacts. This bill is a positive step to move Maine forward and enable young people to succeed in taking their places in our communities.”

GLAD also testified in support of LD 1668, a bill led by Maine Youth Justice would that set a timetable for closing Long Creek over a period of years, provide a just transition for state workers, and reallocate resources into health care, education, employment and housing opportunities for youth. The legislature passed LD 1668 but it was vetoed by the governor.

Learn more about LD 320.

Nouvèl

June 18, 2021 (AUGUSTA) – Yesterday the Maine legislature voted down a proposal (LD 1238) that would have allowed women’s shelters across the state to turn away transgender women or any woman they wanted to – whether because of their race, national origin, religion, disability, or sexual orientation.

A second proposal targeting transgender girls for exclusion from school sports was voted down 80-53 in the House late last night, and is still pending a vote in the Senate when the legislature reconvenes June 30. That bill received strong opposition at a May public hearing from coaches, pediatricians, transgender youth and their parents and peers, as well as Maine officials and organizations, including the Attorney General, former Chief Justice Leigh Saufley, the Maine Principals’ Association, and the Human Rights Commission.

Shelter service providers, community service and justice organizations spoke out against the shelter bill (LD 1238) and are applauding the legislature’s actions to support inclusion of transgender women, and all people, in need of survival and emergency services.

“Once again Mainers have stood up for fairness by saying no to harmful proposals that would deny transgender women access to shelter and vital social services. Shelters across our state play a critical role in providing safety to women in need. Turning transgender women away from shelters puts those women at risk of exactly the type of mistreatment and abuse our shelter services are meant to prevent,” said Gia Drew, Program Director at EqualityMaine.

“I’m proud to see our Maine legislators support inclusion for transgender women. I know well from my own work in the community that transgender women experience some of the highest rates of housing insecurity, harassment and violence among women in Maine. There is always more work our state can do to ensure our social service networks can fully support all women in times of need, but in defeating LD 1238 the legislature recognized that allowing shelters to turn away some of our most vulnerable community members is counter to that goal,” said Quinn Gormley , Executive Director, MaineTransNet.

“It’s a relief to see the legislature stop this misguided bill that targeted transgender women and would have opened the door to discrimination in shelters on the basis race, national origin, religion, disability, or sexual orientation as well. Efforts to ban trans women from shelters would deny shelter to some of our most vulnerable community members when they need help the most. Today our state has once again affirmed the truth: all people, including trans people, belong in Maine,” said Meagan Sway, Policy Director, ACLU of Maine

“We know we can accommodate all women, transgender or not, when they are in need of emergency and homeless shelter because, as legislators heard at the hearing on LD 1238, the dedicated individuals who staff and run our shelters have been doing just that. Managing the stress and conflict that can occur when individuals are experiencing trauma, vulnerability and less privacy and autonomy is some of the hard work performed by shelter staff and management. Women seek out shelter services when they are at their most vulnerable, whether due to trauma, houselessness, or violence. With this vote our legislators affirmed the inclusion required by law, and also what shelter providers said at the hearing: that all women, including transgender women, deserve access to survival services. This is the record we’ve built in Maine; we treat all humans with dignity and respect,” said Mary L. Bonauto, Civil Rights Project Director at GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders

“With this vote the legislature affirmed a simple fact: every Mainer deserves to live with safety and respect. For those who experience abuse or housing insecurity, community organizations help fill that gap. Organizations that exist to ensure that safety are exactly the right places to welcome and affirm trans Mainers, and there is no place for legislation in our state that does not guarantee the rights of everyone to live in dignity, free from abuse,” said Destie Hohman Sprague, Executive Director, Maine Women’s Lobby

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Egalite Maine works to secure full equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people in Maine through political action, community organizing, education, and collaboration. www.equalitymaine.org

MaineTransNet is Maine’s transgender community organization dedicated to supporting and empowering transgender people and those that love them. www.mainetrans.net

ACLU nan Maine is the state’s guardian of liberty. It is active in the courts, the legislature and the public sphere to defend the Constitution and the Bill of Rights, and to extend their promises to all Mainers. www.aclumaine.org

Atravè litij estratejik, defans politik piblik, ak edikasyon, Avoka ak defansè legal GLBTQ yo ap travay nan Nouvèl Angletè ak nan tout peyi a pou kreye yon sosyete jis, san diskriminasyon ki baze sou idantite ak ekspresyon sèks, estati VIH, ak oryantasyon seksyèl. www.gladlaw.org

The Maine Women’s Lobby engages in legislative advocacy which increases the health, wellness, safety, and economic security of women and girls in Maine, and all Mainers who experience gender-based discrimination or oppression. www.mainewomen.org

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June 18, 2021 (Augusta) — GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders (GLAD) today welcomed the news that Governor Janet Mills has signed LD 1115, Yon Lwa pou Amelyore Aksè a Medikaman pou Prevansyon VIH, ki elaji aksè to a simple, safe, and effective medication known as HIV pre-exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) that reduces the risk of HIV transmission by close to 100%. The bill, sponsored by Senator Heather Sanborn of Cumberland and co-sponsored by House Speaker Ryan Fecteau and Senators Ned Claxton and Nahtan Libby, received bipartisan support. GLAD was a member of the coalition working towards passage of the bill and testified in the legislature.

The new law authorizes pharmacists to dispense PrEP, as well as HIV Post- exposure Prophylaxis (PEP), without a prescription on a short-term basis. The law also reduces barriers to accessing PrEP by requiring carriers to cover at least one HIV prevention drug without prior authorization or step therapy, and by codifying in Maine law the federal regulatory requirement that PrEP be provided by private insurers without copays. In addition, by requiring pharmacists to connect customers with medical care for ongoing PrEP oversight and other vital health needs, the law will also improve overall access to care. Maine is the third state in the nation to adopt such legislation, which will allow the most vulnerable populations, including Maine’s rural communities, to obtain PrEP quickly.

“Pre-exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) provides our best opportunity to end the HIV epidemic,” said Ben Klein, GLAD Senior Attorney and AIDS Law Project Director. “Yet despite its proven safety and effectiveness, PrEP remains under-prescribed and underutilized, particularly among populations for whom healthcare access disparities persist and place them at higher risk for contracting HIV. This bill goes a long way to opening up PrEP access and helping us end the HIV epidemic.”

“This law makes Maine a leader in ensuring that PrEP as well as HIV Post- exposure Prophylaxis (PEP) are accessible to all who need and can benefit from them,” added GLAD Law Fellow Anthony Lombardi, who testified on behalf of GLAD at the legislative hearing. “The law will increase access particularly for those in rural communities and among communities of color, where structural barriers including economic and resource inequality and systemic racism keep people vulnerable to both increased risk for HIV infection and poorer health outcomes overall.”

Nan yon Community Position Statement in support of the legislation, over 30 organizations, advocates, and medical professionals explained the impact of expanding access to PrEP:

Simply put, HIV Pre-exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) is a game changer in HIV prevention; it is a simple, safe daily pill that reduces the risk of HIV transmission by close to 100 percent. Obtaining this medication at low or no cost through any avenue that is straightforward and accessible is imperative for the most vulnerable among us, including people of color, people who live in rural areas, people who have been incarcerated, and people who inject drugs and are working to stay safe. HIV Post- exposure Prophylaxis (PEP) is an equally remarkable and necessary medication intervention immediately following a potential exposure to HIV, including in cases of sexual assault. We need to do everything we can to expand access to PrEP/PEP and create more avenues to reduce HIV transmission.

In addition to GLAD, the coalition advocating to pass Yon Lwa pou Amelyore Aksè a Medikaman pou Prevansyon VIH included Egalite Maine, Sant Frannie Peabody, ak la Health Equity Alliance.

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GLAD Applauds Update to Maine Law Allowing Expanded Access to Voluntary Acknowledgments of Parentage

Governor Mills Signs LD 222, An Act to Update the Maine Parentage Act

June 11, 2021 (Augusta) — Governor Janet Mills has signed LD 222, An Act to Update the Maine Parentage Act. The law updates Maine’s parentage statute to expand access to Voluntary Acknowledgments of Parentage (VAP), a simple mechanism long available to establish parentage but previously inaccessible to many parents, including LGBTQ parents, in Maine. Federal law requires all states to provide a simple civil process for acknowledging parentage of a child at birth. This ensures that the protections and responsibilities of parentage attach as soon after birth as possible and ensures that both parents are reflected on a child’s birth certificate. A majority of children born to unmarried parents in the U.S. each year have their parentage established through a VAP, which is the equivalent of a court decree of parentage. A VAP is signed voluntarily and helps parents avoid the expense, delay and stress of litigation to establish parentage. LD 222, drafted by the Family Law Advisory Commission and introduced by lead sponsor Rep. Barbara Cardone, expands access to VAPs so that more children can be protected by this simple, administrative procedure. Genetic parents have always been able to establish parentage through a VAP, and this law expands access to that intended parents through assisted reproduction and presumed parents can sign VAPs to establish parentage of their children. Expanded access to the Voluntary Acknowledgments of Parentage is recommended by the Uniform Parentage Act of 2017. The UPA is model statutory language developed by the non-partisan Uniform Law Commission to ensure state parentage laws are constitutional and provide equal access to the security of legal parentage to all children, without regard to the gender or marital status of their parents. FLAC recommended substantially updating of Maine’s parentage laws in 2015, assisted by Mary Bonauto and others, and the legislature approved that recommendation and recognized through the Maine Parentage Act (MPA) the many ways in which families are formed. Although the MPA provided equal recognition of LGBTQ parents, it did not include access to VAPs. This bill updates Maine law to reflect the recommendations of UPA 2017 and to ensure greater access to parentage for children. “Having a secure legal relationship to their parents is fundamental to a child’s wellbeing and stability, and this update to the law makes that security accessible to more children in Maine,” said Polly Crozier, GLAD Senior Staff Attorney. “The VAP program is a straightforward means of establishing a child’s legal parentage from birth. Extending access to VAPs provides a fair, equitable and affordable means for LGBTQ parents to protect their children as close to birth as possible.” To date in addition to Maine, California, Maryland, Massachusetts, Nevada, New York, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington all allow LGBTQ parents to establish parentage through a VAP. Connecticut recently enacted the Connecticut Parentage Act that will make VAPs available to LGBTQ parents as of January 1, 2022. More information about VAPs can be found here.

Alternative Discipline, Not Criminal Punishment, in Maine Schools

GLAD opposes Maine’s LD 1444 because it creates a new crime that would have serious and long-term negative effects on young people.

In testimony to the Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs, GLAD and EqualityMaine explained that the bill “…creates a crime that will have disastrous collateral effects for young people over their lifetimes and will not accomplish its goals in any event. The anti-bullying law enacted in 2011 recommends that schools consider “alternative discipline” rather than school exclusion or criminal penalties for addressing the consistent bullying of socially marginalized students. Other bills before the Legislature rightly seek to explore the uses of restorative processes to promote responsibility and accountability without exclusion from school or channeling young people into the criminal system.”

Instead, we would “like to see dedicated, enhanced, and creative efforts to build schools as zones of mutual respect that help prepare students for success in a diverse and ever-changing world and in which teachers and staff can support student learning and development.”

Read GLAD and EqualityMaine’s full testimony.

Addressing Discrimination Complaints in Maine Schools

GLAD supports the goals of LD 1512, which would create an Office of the Education Ombudsman, which would serve as a resource and facilitate complaints for parents and students in the Maine’s public school system. The bill also directs the Department of Education to establish a commission to explore possible reporting and response systems to help public schools address reports of discrimination and harassment. 

Read testimony delivered by GLAD and EqualityMaine.

 
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