A Nation of Immigrants
jill, May 15, 2013 - 5:12pmA week and a half ago, I had the privilege of meeting with members of the Maine Immigrant Rights Coalition and staffers of Maine Senator Angus King. We were asked to share our personal immigration stories, urging the Senator to support reform.
By the time it was my turn, I was in tears. I apologized to the small group gathered who have been separated from their families, put in jail and denied basic benefits while seeking asylum in our country. Their stories made me aware of many things: I am white, I am an American citizen, I am safe and I have plenty.
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By the time it was my turn, I was in tears. I apologized to the small group gathered who have been separated from their families, put in jail and denied basic benefits while seeking asylum in our country. Their stories made me aware of many things: I am white, I am an American citizen, I am safe and I have plenty.
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The Waiting Game: What an End to DOMA Could Mean for this Mainer
jill, March 26, 2013 - 2:41pmIt's Tuesday, but I'm still coming down from a very full weekend!
My partner Trish and I were busy attending the annual Equality Maine dinner, visiting with friends, sharing a birthday dinner with my brother in Boston and taking in a hockey game.
Somehow, we managed to find time to start planning our wedding. We spent almost a whole day looking at venues, thinking about a guest list, talking to a photographer and wondering whether or not the Supreme Court of the United States would overturn Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act.
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My partner Trish and I were busy attending the annual Equality Maine dinner, visiting with friends, sharing a birthday dinner with my brother in Boston and taking in a hockey game.
Somehow, we managed to find time to start planning our wedding. We spent almost a whole day looking at venues, thinking about a guest list, talking to a photographer and wondering whether or not the Supreme Court of the United States would overturn Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act.
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This week in civil liberties: Women’s Rights, Voting, DOMA, and Drones
Rachel, March 1, 2013 - 7:36pmEach Friday, we’ll bring you updates on the latest civil liberties news from Maine and the nation. This week, we bring you highlights from around the country, courtesy of the nationwide ACLU.
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LGBT Forum At The State House
oami, February 1, 2013 - 8:59amYesterday, we participated in an LGBT forum at the State House. Twenty senators and representatives from both sides of the aisle attended. Alongside our partners Equality Maine and GLAD from the Yes on 1 campaign, we briefed legislators on marriage equality, since the new law went into effect just a few weeks ago.
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Finally
jill, January 2, 2013 - 1:01pmIt was so cold standing outside of Portland City Hall on Friday, December 28th at 10:00 p.m., but as the plaza filled with nearly 500 people, there was an undeniable warmth on the faces of everyone there.
The new law that allows same-sex couples to obtain marriage licenses went into effect at midnight, December 29th, and the city of Portland and the city of Falmouth began issuing licenses. Steven Bridges and Michael Snell were first in line.
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The new law that allows same-sex couples to obtain marriage licenses went into effect at midnight, December 29th, and the city of Portland and the city of Falmouth began issuing licenses. Steven Bridges and Michael Snell were first in line.
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Best of 2012: An LGBT Civil Liberties Countdown
jill, December 19, 2012 - 5:13pmMy co-workers reserved a few civil liberties highlights of 2012 for me. Not surprisingly, I'm going to focus on the victories for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Americans, especially here in Maine.
I thought I'd do a countdown, leading up to my top moment:
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I thought I'd do a countdown, leading up to my top moment:
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U.S. Supreme Court Agrees To Hear Widow’s Challenge To DOMA
zach, December 7, 2012 - 6:30pmToday, the U.S. Supreme Court agreed to hear Edith “Edie” Windsor’s challenge to the constitutionality of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA). Windsor is represented by attorneys from Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP; the American Civil Liberties Union; the New York Civil Liberties Union and the Stanford Law School Supreme Court Litigation Clinic.
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Save The Date
jill, December 3, 2012 - 3:54pmThis has been an exciting day in our office! It's like we're announcing a wedding by sending a save the date for December 29th.
That's the day that same-sex couples will be allowed to start receiving marriage licenses in Maine.
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That's the day that same-sex couples will be allowed to start receiving marriage licenses in Maine.
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Civil Liberties Win Big on the Ballot
shenna, November 13, 2012 - 11:24pmStill smiling about marriage equality? Maine wasn't the only state to have a significant win at the ballot box last week. The ACLU worked on ballot initiatives involving not only the freedom to marry, but also medical marijuana, abortion, voter ID, the DREAM Act, and criminal justice. And we won big! Check out this interactive map detailing some of the civil liberties wins.
Election 2012: Civil Liberties Map
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Election 2012: Civil Liberties Map
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History
shenna, November 8, 2012 - 2:40pm“The freedom to marry has long been recognized as one of the vital personal rights essential to the orderly pursuit of happiness by free men."
"Marriage is one of the 'basic civil rights of man,' fundamental to our very existence and survival.”
Those are the words of the Supreme Court in 1967 ruling in the ACLU case of Loving v. Virginia that interracial couples should not be denied the freedom to marry.
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"Marriage is one of the 'basic civil rights of man,' fundamental to our very existence and survival.”
Those are the words of the Supreme Court in 1967 ruling in the ACLU case of Loving v. Virginia that interracial couples should not be denied the freedom to marry.
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