World
CONTACTStaffCAREER OPPORTUNITIESADVERTISE WITH USPRIVACY POLICYPRIVACY PREFERENCESTERMS OF USELEGAL NOTICE
© 2024 Pride Publishing Inc.
All Rights reserved
All Rights reserved
By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Private Policy and Terms of Use.
While Maine's fight over marriage rights for gay and lesbian couples may not rake in the combined $83 million that California's Prop. 8 battle did a year ago, the Roman Catholic Church is stepping up its role in funding the campaign to put the kibosh on marriage.
Even before Gov. John Baldacci signed the legislation into law in May, one of the most vocal opponents of the marriage equality bill had been the Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland, which oversees the entire state as well as parishes in parts of Massachusetts.
Marc Mutty, a lobbyist for the diocese, worked to dissuade legislators from approving the bill. "Although the details are still being worked out at this time, we can say with certainty that the Portland Diocese will play a lead role in organizing this petition drive to bring the issue before voters," he wrote in a statement on May 7.
Meanwhile, as Catholic populations continue to decline throughout New England, at least five Maine churches are slated to close by January 2011: two churches in Lewiston, two in Biddeford, and one in Saco. The reason? Dwindling membership and lack of funds.
Still, the church has promised to financially back efforts to do away with same-sex marriage throughout the state.
The diocese alone has already committed $100,000 to defeating marriage equality in November. Proponents of the ballot measure spent $249,000 solely on gathering signatures to qualify the question for the ballot, according to Mark Sullivan, the communications director for the No on 1 campaign, which is fighting to keep same-sex marriage legal in the Pine Tree State.
Of course, it wouldn't be the first time the Catholic Church has stepped into political waters to fight same-sex marriage -- the Knights of Columbus, a Catholic fraternal organization, donated $1 million to support Proposition 8 in California almost exactly a year ago. The church itself had donated $200,000 in support of California's 2008 ballot initiative to repeal marriage equality.
Proceeds are being funneled from the church to its state-sanctioned Ballot Question Committee, also named the Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland. According to Paul Lavin, assistant director of the Maine Ethics Commission, nonprofits like churches may set up such committees as long as they campaign for specific issues and not candidates. Other ballot question committees include Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders as well as Equality Maine.
Mutty, the church's lobbyist, insists that the money has not been gathered from parishioners' weekly collections, but instead from a donor who has funneled money to the church for "defending church dogma or policy."
Even with some backlash against the church's actions by Catholic followers, Mutty said they are prepared to spend the next three months "educating Catholics about this fundamental teaching of the church and societal implications," according to the Lewiston Sun Journal.
"There's no question that some would say that it's a shame we have to spend this kind of money on this kind of issue when we should be spending it on the poor or those kinds of things," he admitted.
Want more breaking equality news & trending entertainment stories?
Check out our NEW 24/7 streaming service: the Advocate Channel!
Download the Advocate Channel App for your mobile phone and your favorite streaming device!
From our Sponsors
Most Popular
Here Are Our 2024 Election Predictions. Will They Come True?
November 07 2023 1:46 PM
17 Celebs Who Are Out & Proud of Their Trans & Nonbinary Kids
November 30 2023 10:41 AM
Here Are the 15 Most LGBTQ-Friendly Cities in the U.S.
November 01 2023 5:09 PM
Which State Is the Queerest? These Are the States With the Most LGBTQ+ People
December 11 2023 10:00 AM
These 27 Senate Hearing Room Gay Sex Jokes Are Truly Exquisite
December 17 2023 3:33 PM
10 Cheeky and Homoerotic Photos From Bob Mizer's Nude Films
November 18 2023 10:05 PM
42 Flaming Hot Photos From 2024's Australian Firefighters Calendar
November 10 2023 6:08 PM
These Are the 5 States With the Smallest Percentage of LGBTQ+ People
December 13 2023 9:15 AM
Here are the 15 gayest travel destinations in the world: report
March 26 2024 9:23 AM
Watch Now: Advocate Channel
Trending Stories & News
For more news and videos on advocatechannel.com, click here.
Trending Stories & News
For more news and videos on advocatechannel.com, click here.
Latest Stories
Germany makes it easier to change gender and name on legal documents
April 12 2024 6:06 PM
A youth's call to action on this Day of NO Silence
April 12 2024 5:00 PM
Democrats introduce resolution in support of LGBTQ+ youth
April 12 2024 4:35 PM
Colton Underwood is hoping to create a gay reality TV dating show
April 12 2024 4:28 PM
Idaho closes legislative session with a slew of anti-LGBTQ+ laws
April 12 2024 1:39 PM
Pride
Yahoo FeedElevating pet care with TrueBlue’s all-natural ingredients
April 12 2024 1:39 PM
Watch Jimmy Kimmel's hilarious LGBTQ+ campaign video: 'You can't spell Biden without Bi'
April 12 2024 12:00 PM
Pride
Yahoo FeedCreating erotic art and advocacy with adult entertainer Cody Silver (EXCLUSIVE)
April 12 2024 11:39 AM
How I navigated through religious trauma
April 12 2024 11:00 AM
Limited gender markers add hurdles for nonbinary people
April 12 2024 9:34 AM
Suspect in killing of Black trans man Righteous Torrence 'TK' Hill identified by police
April 12 2024 9:13 AM