Advocates Tout Gov. Janet Mills’ Record on LGBTQ+ Issues, Slam Paul LePage’s Harmful Attacks

Yesterday, the Maine Democrats hosted a Pride Month press conference to celebrate the progress made on LGBTQ+ issues under Gov. Janet Mills — and to highlight the importance of defeating Paul LePage, who has a long record of attacking LGBTQ+ Maine people.

The Portland Press Herald reported how speakers emphasized that “the candidates’ track records make it obvious which … is a real defender of sexual and gender diversity.”

In her first year in office, Gov. Mills stood by LGBTQ+ children by signing a bill banning conversion therapy. LePage had vetoed a similar bill just a year before.

With Gov. Mills’ support, Maine has banned the “gay panic” legal defense, restored benefits to military veterans discharged under ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,’ defeated legislative efforts to ban transgender girls from school sports and transgender women from receiving services at women’s homeless shelters, and more.

Here’s what people are saying about the Pride Month press conference:

• Portland Press Herald: “The gay conversion therapy ban is the biggest, but not the only, LGBT protection achieved during Mills’ first term … In the last four years, Maine has banned insurers from discriminating against transgender policy holders, restored benefits to military veterans discharged under the ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ policy, and allowed children as young as 14 years old to seek a legal name change without parental consent.”

• News Center Maine: “A number of speakers shared their stories about coming out, while also speaking about the importance of Speaker Ryan Fecteau’s bill to ban conversion therapy. A bill that Former Governor Paul LePage vetoed four years ago.”

• Maine Democratic Party Vice Chair Bev Uhlenhake: “Everywhere the GOP has control they are targeting the LGBTQ+ community. The Maine GOP is preparing to do the same thing right here in the Pine Tree State, as they mobilize to reelect our virulently anti-LGBTQ+ former governor.”

• Maine’s First Openly Gay Speaker of the House Rep. Ryan Fecteau: “At a time where states like Florida are passing ‘Don’t Say Gay’ legislation, here in Maine we are going to keep saying gay.”

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