Activists, others pledge to fight anti-gay initiative> Plan would deny basic civil rights

BANGOR — Local politicians and gay rights activists gathered at Bangor City Hall Tuesday and promised to fight a referendum initiative designed to restrict civil rights to gays and lesbians.

Jim Martin, co-chairman of Equal Protection Maine of Bangor, said he was concerned about the proposed referendum, but said he had faith that the people of Maine would shoot down any attempt to take away anyone’s rights and freedoms.

The Bangor press conference by the Maine Won’t Discriminate coalition was the second in two days. On Monday a similar press conference was held in Portland.

Three of the eight scheduled speakers did not make it to Bangor, including Attorney General Michael Carpenter who reportedly became detained in road construction.

Reps. Jane Saxl, D-Bangor, and Sean F. Faircloth, D-Bangor, pledged their support for the Maine Won’t Discriminate coalition and local businessman Edward Armstrong said discrimination was bad for business.

The proposed referendum spearheaded by Carolyn Cosby of Concerned Maine Families seeks to limit “protected classifications” in state and federal laws to an assortment of categories including race, color and sex. Sexual orientation was omitted from the list of classifications.

Cosby was able to gather 67,000 signatures in support that the referendum be given to voters in November. She needed a minimum of 52,308 to submit the petition.

Martin said Tuesday that members of EPM had witnessed people signing Cosby’s petition without knowing what they were signing. He promised that the signatures on the petition would be challenged.