As they honored state Senator Dennis
Damon Saturday night, gay rights advocates in Maine vowed to win back
gay marriage, local ABC affiliate News 8 reported.
At its annual dinner in Portland, the
group responsible for the first gay marriage law to be approved by
state lawmakers and signed into law said it would continue the fight.
Maine voters “vetoed” the law in November before it went into
effect.
“Today I feel really hopeful,”
Betsy Smith, executive director of EqualityMaine, said. “I feel
like we came a long way and we don't have that far to go until
Mainers support equality for all Maine families.”
The group's two track effort to win
back gay marriage includes supporting the campaigns of lawmakers who
voted in favor of the bill and strengthening public opinion on the
issue.
State Senator Dennis Damon was honored
at the fundraiser that took place at the Holiday Inn by The Bay.
Damon, a Democrat from Trenton, sponsored last year's gay marriage
bill and advocated for its passage.
EqualityMaine, the state's largest gay
rights advocate, was founded in 1984.