My home state of Maine is considering legalizing same-sex marriage – at least, the legislature is set to debate and vote on it soon.

The Arian couple above are NOT a same-sex couple.  Rather, they are the banner on a new anti-gay site from the Maine Marriage Initiative that appeared this week calling for “doing what’s right.”  While the “owners” of the site do not identify themselves, news stories have pointed to James Dobson’s Colorado Springs-based Focus on the Family and the Portland Catholic Diocese.

My favorite nugget of information on the site:

Perhaps you think that changing the law won’t negatively impact your life, your family. But history elsewhere shows that changing the definition of marriage to include same-sex couples has very real, and very negative, consequences.

Gee.  I needed to take a look at the, um, “data” on this one.  I was interested to learn what the “very real, and very negative consequences” of same-sex marriage are for civilization.  So I clicked through to a page where the group shares its evidence.  One example was how identifying same-sex marriages would threaten a physician’s ability to refuse care to patients; another example told of how Catholic Charities of Boston had to stop offering adoptions when same-sex marriage became legal there.  Hmmm.  Like it’s the fault of gays and lesbians that an adoption agency is so narrow-minded and bigoted that it feels it is the victim? What about the kids?  And this group really believes that doctor’s should be able to pick and choose who they treat based on their moral beliefs?  The site looks “sadly” on groups and people who will no longer be able to legally discriminate if same-sex marriage becomes a reality.

I hope the groups supporting same-sex marriage in Maine will use the lessons learned from California Prop 8 and conduct grassroots reach-outs to groups more diverse than the smug white couples on its website.  I, for one, w0uld be proud of the state if IT does “what’s right.”

Check out more about Freedom to Marry Week here.

I also hope that the woman in the photo let’s her tranquilizer prescription run out – the “dazed” look is not a good one for her!

This week is Freedom to Marry Week.  As a blogger in the GLBT community, I was asked to share ways that YOU can help promote fair legislation and rescind anti-equality measures where you live — here in California, the nemesis of our premises happens to be Prop 8, which the California Supreme Court will review for its constitutionality on March 5.

So, I offer what I’ve learned from personal experience to be effective ways to get the message out that there is no room for bigotry in our lives.

1.  Communicate with your straight allies: our community tends to “preach to the choir” when it comes to marriage equality education.  I have many straight friends who care deeply about marriage equality; however, it remains a low priority on their action lists.  It isn’t that they don’t care but overwhelmed with all the real issues in their own lives including the current dismal economy and raising kids.  Drag straight allies to protests.  Host a dinner party and discussion about marriage equality and have a mixed guest list to discuss the issue of marriage equality.  Send them pre-written emails that they can send to their representation in the state legislatures — MAKE IT EASY for our straight allies to step up and support us!  I have had conversations with people from my home town in Maine who have NEVER met a gay person and who don’t understand why we would want marriage.  One phone call is all it took with one person to help them gain perspective on the issue.

2.  Use social networking to help share helpful information: While this helps with communicating with your straight allies, getting correct information out to everyone — members of our gay and straight communities — is critical.  Misinformation was the catalyst of the “Yes on Prop 8″ campaign so we can fight lies with the truth.  Share everything you can on Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, etc.

Posts that I make on my Facebook page about gay marriage sometimes end up with comments replete with biblical passages to make a point about “the gay lifestyle.”  These are the people who might be worth a reach out from you – offer to have a conversation with them by phone.  Email can go downhill quickly and I believe that a phone conversation forces people to listen more and talk less.  Try it!

3.  Think about how marriage equality affects you personally and write, discuss, speak, share and/or scream to friends and family.  Rich and I got engaged last week and communicating this information to friends and family with the caveat that we cannot legally marry in our home state goes a lot further with allies than talking about marriage equality in a general way.  My friends/family can directly see the happiness that I have about my relationship and we provide a concrete example as to why equality should be an issue for them, too.  After all, they are the ones who have to deal with unhappy Dan.

Learn more about the Freedom to Marry here.  In the spirit of my own advice, people across the country are pledging to take part in 7 Conversations in 7 Days in honor of the 12th annual Freedom to Marry Week, February 8-14, 2009. Join in the pledge today!

Have a conversation today!