Marriage Equality Statewide Ads Begin Airing in Maine, Heating Up Campaign; One Day Left for Matching Donation Drive!

UPDATE: From Jesse Connolly, NO on 1 campaign manager:

On Wednesday, I challenged you to raise $10,000 by Friday. If we met that goal, a generous Maine donor agreed to match dollar for dollar up to $10,000.

Well, guess what? In less than 48 hours, you raised $16,098 through 354 supporters.

I just shared the news with our donor, who is so impressed with your initiative that he has doubled his challenge: he will now match every dollar up to $20,000 raised by midnight tonight.

That gives us less than 12 hours to raise $3,902.

Click here to donate!

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This year Maine is ground zero in the national struggle for marriage equality. And as a national community, we need this win, for a loss will be felt across the country and could potentially set back the marriage movement years.

In May the state legislature passed a marriage equality bill that was quickly signed by Gov. Baldacci. But it didn't take long for marriage equality opponents to draft a referendum for a November "people's veto" vote. Meanwhile, the petition has halted the new law's enforcement.

California's passage of Prop 8 was devastating, not only to Californians, but to LGBT and allies nationwide. Those responsible for Yes on 8 are now in Maine, spearheading the attempt there to strip away marriage rights of LGBT Mainers. They've done it before, and they intend to do it again.

The struggle is heating up today as a new ad, co-produced by Equality Maine Foundation, GLAD and MCLU, airs statewide. (The campaign logo doesn't appear in the ad since these organizations aren't connected to the campaign itself.)



Many ways exist in which you can help the NO on 1/Protect Maine Equality campaign, and I will continue to report on different actions.

The most pressing action right now is donating. Early money for a campaign is essential for success - it helps a campaign to stay ahead of the opposition through media ads, volunteers and messaging. And the mail-in ballots go out soon and Mainers will be voting in five weeks on whether or not gays and lesbians can marry!

A win in Maine will be historical - the first ever passage of marriage equality by the voters themselves!

Thanks to the efforts of a generous anonymous donor, every dollar you contribute up to $10,000, will be matched until Friday, August 21.

If you donate $250, then it becomes $500.

If you donate $100, then it becomes $200.

CLICK HERE TO HAVE YOUR DONATIONS MATCHED!