Battle over gay marriage shifts to Maine

BOSTON (Reuters) – A Maine lawmaker introduced a bill on Tuesday to legalize same-sex marriage, but it looks set to face tough opposition and bring a rancorous fight over the definition of marriage to the rugged eastern state.

The legislation proposed by Democratic state Sen. Dennis Damonck would make the state the nation’s third to allow same-sex marriage. It seeks to redefine marriage as the legal union of two people rather than between a man and a women.

“Today I have submitted an act to end discrimination in civil marriage and to affirm religious freedom,” he told a news conference in the state capital Augusta.

As he spoke, Republican Rep. John Tardy was drafting legislation to enshrine the definition of marriage as one man and one woman into the state constitution. “The language is being worked on now,” his spokesman said.

See Battle over gay marriage shifts to Maine
Reuters

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Illinois civil union bill appears to be stalled

A proposal to allow civil unions in Illinois between same-sex couples has been stalled in the state legislature and seems likely to stay that way, as gay rights activists Wednesday plan nationwide “Day Without a Gay” rallies to protest California‘s Proposition 8 and other measures opposing gay marriage.

“This is going to be focusing on the economic aspect of what the deprivation of equal marriage rights means to our community,” said Andy Thayer of the Gay Liberation Network in Chicago, which is planning a rally 11 a.m. Wednesday outside the Cook County clerk’s office.

The demonstration to highlight pensions and survivors’ benefits in Chicago occurs as the future of the Illinois Religious Freedom and Civil Unions Act grows uncertain. See Illinois civil union bill appears to be stalled
Chicago Tribune