Maine Marriage Equality Group Changes Name - Goes Into Full Campaign Mode

Maine Freedom to Marry, the coalition formed to protect the state's new marriage equality law, has shifted into full campaign mode now that opponents to the law have just turned in the signatures today to go to the ballot in a "People's Veto" to overturn the law this November. They need at least 55,000 signatures, but the opposition hasn't stated how many they're turning in, yet they have declared they're confident they have enough.

Mark Sullivan, Communications Director for the marriage equality group, said today, "I'm standing outside of the State Capitol building right now in Augusta watching our anti-equality opposition turn in the signatures they need to take away marriage equality in Maine."

"It's official: we are going to have to fight to protect marriage equality in Maine on November's ballot," he continued. "But we have been gearing up for this moment for months and we are ready to defend Maine's marriage equality law. Now it's a reality."

And they have been gearing up for awhile. Thursday the group turned in 60,000 pledge cards from people in support of marriage equality. On top of that, the group has changed its name from Maine Freedom to Marry to "No on 1/Protect Maine Equality."

Sullivan said the name change is designed to make it clear that a "no" vote on the referendum question in November would retain the gay-marriage law.

"We want people to be absolutely clear what they are voting about," said Sullivan.

CAMPAIGN INFORMATION

The website is the same, but the new URL, which will redirect you to the original site, is Protect Maine Equality.

Join the Facebook Group here.

Find out ways in which you can get involved by going to the campaign's Take Action page which also includes ways for those who don't live in Maine to help marriage equality supporters.

You can also donate to the campaign for they're going to need all the financial help they can get.