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HRC Gives Another Big Donation To No On 1/ Protect Maine Equality

by: Louise

Fri Aug 14, 2009 at 18:00:00 PM EDT

Major LGBT advocacy groups are making large donations toward defending same-sex marriage rights in Maine amid a looming November referendum.

The Human Rights Campaign this week sent a $50,000 check to the effort's organizers. HRC previously made a cash donation of $25,000, according to the state's campaign finance reports, so the group's total cash donations total $75,000.

Marty Rouse, HRC's national field director, delivered the check in person Wednesday to activists in Maine. He said HRC has committed to donating at least another $50,000.

"Any money that's invested early is worth more than [money] invested late," he said. "Most campaigns see a large influx of money at the very end, but it's harder to raise that early money. So, we know that the money that we're delivering today and the money that we delivered is really helping them build the campaign that is going to win."

Trevor Thomas, an HRC spokesperson, said his organization also has staff in Maine, bringing HRC's in-kind contributions to the Maine campaign so far to $50,000.

Wow- this is great news and makes our absolutely beautiful sunny day today even brighter!

Mark Sullivan, spokesperson for the "No on 1" campaign, said activists welcomed the support from HRC and Equality California.

"We're very pleased that most of our donations continue to come from people who live and work here in Maine," he said. "These are people who understand that marriage equality strengthens and protects children and honors commitment and, ultimately, exemplifies Maine's core values of fairness and equality."

Sullivan noted Maine campaign finance reports indicate that supporters of the "people's veto" have already received $250,000 in out-of-state funding from anti-gay groups such as the National Organization for Marriage. He said out-of-state donors are expected to contribute millions of dollars over the course of the campaign.

Stand for Marriage Maine, the group supporting the referendum, didn't immediately respond to a request for comment on recent donations pledged to the "No on 1" campaign.

We're "all in this together"... let's show SFMM what that really means!

More below the fold.

Rouse said any effort from HRC to draw more attention to the Maine battle is helpful because winning the fight is crucial.

"Anything that HRC can do to raise the profile of this campaign throughout the country is an important thing to do," he said. "If there's any person that's interested in LGBT issues across our country that is interested in making a difference, they need to come to Maine."

Rouse urged supporters of same-sex marriage "to drop what they're doing and spend at least a week in Maine" in September or October to help activists protect the marriage law.

The very NICEST (imo) time to visit Maine... pack a sweater and bring a camera! :)

Click on the link I provided for a fabulous 40 page brochure entitled "Gay Maine: GLBT Travel and Relocation Guide", which is chock FULL of info and websites.

I am just so excited; this is such wonderful news! Yippee!

Here's a link to a gazillion lgbt-friendly businesses here in Maine- Stephen Colbert had it right on the nose, when he asked Rep. Pingree to rate Maine's gayness "on a scale of 1 to Maine"!

Juan Ahonen-Jover, co-founder of eQualityGiving, which helps guide money to LGBT causes and candidates, said he hoped the donations from HRC and Equality California would encourage others to contribute to the Maine campaign.

"I believe that Maine right now is our top priority in the movement because of the implications that it has," he said. "It's a vote specifically and clearly on marriage and [there are] different demographics than there were in California, so therefore we can clearly win this vote."

Ahonen-Jover said he hopes donors will contribute to the campaign even though they may be "a little bit tired" from contributing to political campaigns in 2008.

"This is a battle that is relatively not very expensive, relatively speaking," he said. "It's a $4 to $5 million battle compared to [the $83 million that Prop 8 supporters and] our side [spent] in California."

Let's do this thing! Please Donate To No On 1/ Protect Maine Equality