The Christian Civic League of Maine will have some help in its effort to force a “people’s veto” referendum on the governor’s gay rights bill, with a Cape Elizabeth man launching his own campaign to send the matter out to voters.

Scott M. Clark, a scientist at a southern Maine biotechnology firm, filed his formal application with the Secretary of State’s Office last week.

But his effort, he stressed, should not be confused with the that of the league, the new law’s chief opponent.

“My goal is not to collect signatures to repeal it,” Clark said in a recent interview. “My goal is to allow the process of voting to happen.”

The law, signed late last month by Gov. John Baldacci, prohibits discrimination based on sexual orientation in areas including housing, employment and education.

Clark’s one-man campaign to send the matter to voters will bear no likeness to that waged by league officials, who are concentrating their signature-gathering efforts in churches throughout the state.

To force a referendum, opponents must submit 50,519 signatures to state election officials by Jan. 28, the day before the law is scheduled to take effect.

Clark said he plans to limit his campaign to his local area and hoped to collect about 200 signatures.

More importantly, he said, he wanted to challenge Republicans to endorse his effort. He noted that, during last month’s legislative debate, GOP lawmakers generally supported letting voters decide the issue.

The bill, however, passed the Democrat-controlled Legislature without the referendum requirement, setting the stage for the people’s veto effort.

Patricia Peard, spokeswoman for pro-gay rights group Maine Won’t Discriminate, said she hoped that legislative action would settle the matter. “I hope people realize how important the [anti-discrimination] issue is and don’t sign either petition,” she said.

If Clark and the league are successful in forcing a referendum, it would be the fourth time in 10 years voters have considered the issue. Most recently, in 1998 and 2000, voters rejected gay rights initiatives similar to the governor’s. In 1995, however, voters overwhelmingly rejected an anti-gay rights initiative.