- Homosexuality
- ⚢✔ Legal
- Gay Marriage
- ⚭✔ Legal
- Censorship
- ✔ No censorship
- Changing Gender
- ✔ Legal, no restrictions
- Gender-Affirming Care
- ✔ Legal
- Non-Binary Gender Recognition
- ✔ Recognized
- Discrimination
- ✔ Illegal
- Employment Discrimination
- ✔ Sexual orientation and gender identity
- Housing Discrimination
- ✔ Sexual orientation and gender identity
- Adoption
- ✔ Legal
- Intersex Infant Surgery
- Unknown
- Military
- ✔ Legal
- Donating Blood
- ✔ Legal
- Conversion Therapy
- ✔ Banned
- Age of Consent
- ✔ Equal
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Public Opinion
Recent studies in Maine indicate significant support for LGBTQ+ rights among the population.
OPPOSE
SUPPORT
Maine Surveys
History
Same-sex marriage in Maine is legal.
Current status
Since Dec 29, 2012
Civil unions (limited rights)
Opponents of the marriage equality in Maine set up a referendum to repeal it. Citizens voted 53% in favor of repealing marriage equality and 47% against, effectively un-legalizing gay marriage. Even after gay marriage was overturned in Maine, the domestic partnerships offered from 2005 were still available for gay couples.
Legal
On May 5th, 2009, the Maine Senate passed a bill 21-13 with one abstained. The bill redefined marriage to terms without gender references. The bill was signed into law the next day by Maine’s Governor at the time, John Baldacci.
Civil unions (limited rights)
A bill which legalized domestic partnerships for same-sex couples took effect on July 30th, 2005. The domestic partnerships offered gave only certain limited rights of what marriage would.
Banned
In March of 1997, the Maine Legislature passed a statute that restricted marriage to opposite-sex couples. The Governor at the time, Angus S. King, Jr., signed the bill into law.
Censorship of LGBT issues in Maine is no censorship.
Current status
No censorship
Maine has no laws censoring LGBT topics.
Right to change legal gender in Maine is legal, no restrictions.
Current status
Since Nov 2019
Legal, no restrictions
Surgery is not required to change the gender marker on IDs such as State ID or a driver's license.
Gender-affirming care in Maine is legal.
Current status
Legal
Minors 16 years of age or older are able to get gender affirming care without parental consent. Adults and Minors are freely able to access gender affirming care. Anyone under prosecution in another state will be able to freely access gender affirming care in Maine, this specific bill will be enacted in a later date. Governor Janet Mills signed LD227 April 12th, 2024, making gender affirming care protected in the state of Maine.
Legal recognition of non-binary gender in Maine is recognized.
Current status
Since Jul 14, 2020
Recognized
Maine-born residents can ask for an X gender marker on their birth certificates and IDs.
LGBT discrimination in Maine is illegal.
Current status
Illegal
People are protected from discrimination based upon both sexual orientation and gender identification.
LGBT employment discrimination in Maine is sexual orientation and gender identity.
Current status
Since 2005
Sexual orientation and gender identity
State law provides for protections against employment discrimination in regards to both sexual orientation and gender identification.
LGBT housing discrimination in Maine is sexual orientation and gender identity.
Current status
Sexual orientation and gender identity
This state explicitly bans housing discrimination based upon sexual orientation and gender identification.
Additionally, the Human Rights Campaign states, "The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) requires grantees and participants of HUD programs to comply with local and state non-discrimination laws that include sexual orientation and gender identity.
HUD also prohibits inquiries regarding the sexual orientation or gender identity of a prospective tenant or applicant for assisted
housing in every state (March 2012)."
Additionally, the Human Rights Campaign states, "The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) requires grantees and participants of HUD programs to comply with local and state non-discrimination laws that include sexual orientation and gender identity.
HUD also prohibits inquiries regarding the sexual orientation or gender identity of a prospective tenant or applicant for assisted
housing in every state (March 2012)."
Same-sex adoption in Maine is legal.
Current status
Since 2007
Legal
State statute allows married and unmarried persons to adopt per §9-301, and a lower court ruled in MA, 2007 ME 123 (2007) that the law is not exclusionary of same-sex partners.
Similarly, second-parent adoption isn't expressly permitted in statute, but case law has been tolerant in lower court rulings.
Similarly, second-parent adoption isn't expressly permitted in statute, but case law has been tolerant in lower court rulings.
Serving openly in military in Maine is legal.
Current status
Since Jan 25, 2020
Legal
President Biden removed former President Trumps ban on transgender people serving in the military, transgender people are still allowed to serve as of 2024.
Lesbians, gays, bisexuals permitted, transgender people banned
Former President Trump said in a slew of tweets in 2017, that he would ban transgender people from serving in the military. He then talked with the Chiefs of Staff, making it full ban for transgender people. Policy stated, if transgender people were in the military already, they could serve under a gender dysphoria diagnoses.
Legal
In 2011, Don't Ask Don't Tell was repelled under the Obama Administration 6 years later a new executive order was introduced. Former President Obama allowed members dishonorably discharged under DADT, to receive a honorable discharge.
Blood donations by MSMs in Maine is legal.
Current status
Since May 11, 2023
Legal
The new FDA policy on blood donation eliminates deferrals and screening questions specific to men who have sex with men (MSM). Prospective donors will be asked the same set of questions regardless of their sex or sexual orientation.
Banned (less than 6-month deferral)
Blood donation centers follow the new FDA 3-month deferral guidance.
Banned (1-year deferral)
Blood donation centers followed the non-binding FDA one year deferral guidance.
United States Equality Rank
#252
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Maine LGBT Organizations
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