Since the the November 2009 vote in Maine to abolish marriage equality by passing Ballot Question 1, I’ve been looking at the vote in greater detail, tallying up and mapping results for the towns of Maine from county to county. In most counties there has been variation to show, with some towns voting to ban equality and others voting to uphold equal rights. But in Aroostook County, there is no variation to report. Every single town voted in an anti-gay majority to take away the same-sex marriage rights that lesbian and gay couples had won just months before. Most towns in the county voted that way by margins of 75% or greater. In some towns, every single person voted against equality for gay people.
There are no gay-friendly parts of Aroostook County, Maine, and the only gay-indifferent parts of the county are those parts that don’t have people in them. If you’re part of a same-sex couple, you’ve been shown the sign: Aroostook County doesn’t want you. If you aren’t gay but have sympathy for the rights of people who are, make your travel plans for this summer with the anti-gay landslide of Aroostook County in mind.
Um, the only tourists we get up here are Canadian snowmobilers.
Not true. I’m an American geography buff (we do exist), and a few years ago I explored Aroostook County–specifically, Fort Kent (where US 1begins), Madawaska, and Houlton (where I95 begins).
Jamaica Plain, MA