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.

Are you and your same-sex partner planning a trip to Washington County, the most Northeastern of the coastal counties in the state of Maine? Looking for the first sunrise in Eastport or a quasi-Canadian experience in Calais? Consider what kind of reaction you’ll get: as the map below shows, with two exceptions each and every town of Washington County Maine turned out on November 3, 2009 to reject lesbian and gay marriage equality. Most towns rejected equal rights for gay and lesbian Mainers by overwhelming margins. Gay and lesbian couples who live in this county were given the cold shoulder. How do you think you’ll be treated if you’re a gay or lesbian outsider to this rural area?

The two notable exceptions to this rule are the Passamaquoddy territories of Indian Township and Pleasant Point, which cast majority votes to reaffirm the equal rights of gay and lesbian couples living in Maine. The Passamaquoddies know something that their neighbors in Washington County have forgotten or never known.

If you’re half of a gay or lesbian couple planning a trip to Maine later this year, make sure you know what you’re getting into. While the sign on the state’s southern border declares Maine to be “the way life should be,” whether things really are the way they should be varies from place to place. In some places in Maine, people of all sorts are given a warm welcome. In other places, gay and lesbian Mainers have been actively rejected. As part of a same-sex couples, you know you have to carefully consider whether you and your partner are more or less likely to be cold-shouldered or harassed for holding hands, and a recent vote helps you find that answer for the various town of Maine.

On November 3, 2009, Mainers came out to the polls to narrowly outlaw the legal marriage rights of gay and lesbian people. That vote was unevenly dispersed, with some towns widely affirming gay and lesbian marriage equality and others strongly rejecting it. Today we’ll look at Hancock County, Maine, a set of Down East towns including the east side and islands of Penobscot Bay and reaching northward from there. To create the map below, I’ve gathered election results for the towns within Hancock County and color coded them, with blue towns being the most supportive of same-sex marriage and green towns being moderately supportive of marriage equality. Pink towns, on the other hand, are those that voted with a majority in opposition to marriage equality; yellow towns would signify those towns that rejected gay and lesbian people getting married by a large margin. Areas in white are populated by too few people to maintain any voting precinct.

The pattern here is clear: with few exceptions, areas along the coast from Penobscot to Gouldsboro turned out to affirm the equal rights of gay and lesbian Mainers to marry. These are, fortunately for you, the very towns of Hancock County that are famous for their natural beauty. The towns of Bar Harbor, Mount Desert, Southwest Harbor and Tremont form the core of Acadia National Park, where the mountains crash down into the sea, where campers, climbers and kayakers coexist, and where you really ought to listen to the rangers when they explain the difference between a safe sandy beach, a fun tidepool and a dangerous seaside cliff. Deer Isle and Stonington are more quiet places offshore where fewer people live and where quiet pursuits are the thing. Fodors recommends a stop at a foodie’s paradise, Buck’s Harbor Market (no, McCloskey readers, it’s not that Buck’s Harbor… look up the coast) for lunch after a roam over granite outcroppings and wild blueberry barrens on the Blue Hill Peninsula. And the 400+ foot-high cliffs of the Schoodic Peninsula in Gouldsboro are stunning at sunrise. When you travel to these places, know that you and your partner are both respected and welcomed.

Gay and lesbian couples planning a visit to Maine in the near future have a different set of considerations than the rest of us. In addition to researching events, outdoors activities, scenic vistas and affordability, same-sex couples are well-advised to consider whether the way they will be treated for holding hands while on holiday. Tallies from the November 3, 2009 vote on Ballot Question 1 provide information about which places in Maine are open and welcoming to gay and lesbian couples… and which places are hostile.

Ballot Question 1, for the unfamiliar, was a referendum funded by religious groups that overturned the legal right of Maine same-sex couples to get married. The referendum narrowly passed, but the vote was unequally distributed, with some towns in Maine voting overwhelmingly to outlaw same-sex marriage but other towns overwhelmingly voting in favor of marriage equality. Today, let’s take a look at how the people of Penobscot County, Maine came out to vote.

Below is a color-coded map of Penobscot County, Maine, with blue and green towns denoting towns that voted in defense of marriage equality. Yellow and pink towns, on the other hand, are those that voted with a majority against gay and lesbian people being permitted to marry. Areas appearing in white have too few people living there to host a voting precinct.

The pattern in this map is pretty clear: if you’re looking to avoid hostility in your visit, it’s best to stick to the Penobscot River. Indeed, the Penobscot Nation that occupies various islands in the Penobscot River itself came out in the largest proportion to support marriage equality for same-sex couples; the museum on Indian Island makes a good start for a tour. The city of Bangor and the towns of Orono, Old Town and Veazie, all clustered together, are the other places where majorities voted in defense of equality for gay and lesbian couples. If you’re headed out into the mountains and woods, why not make this area your home base?

If Waldo County, Maine were a fictional creation of a novelist, it would be an exemplar in the use of irony.

The map below displays voting results for Ballot Question 1 on November 3, 2009, color coded by town. Ballot Question 1, which passed by a narrow margin in Maine, was a measure that overturned a law granting same-sex couples equality in the right to marry. A YES vote is a vote to repeal equality; a NO vote is a vote to preserve equality. As you can see, a majority in the towns of Freedom and Liberty voted to take away gay and lesbian Mainers’ freedom and liberty. Right next door, Unity promoted division and discrimination.

Most, but not all, towns in Waldo County joined Freedom, Liberty and Unity to bring an end to equal protection under law. The town of Belfast — named after the city in Northern Ireland that was a center of sectarian fighting between Catholics and Protestants — came together in a majority to protect Maine marriage equality for all citizens. For its cultural hipness, stemming in part from a back-to-the-land movement in the 1960s but persevering through the decades, Belfast was named one of the top 10 coolest small towns in America by Budget Travel magazine. Among all Waldo County towns, Islesboro came out most strongly to vote in defense of the principle that no one is an island, that we live together and that in living together we must respect our neighbors’ discretion in living their lives. These two towns are joined by the less-ironically named Montville, Lincolnville, Northport and Stockton Springs in defending the equality of all Mainers. If you’re looking to travel to a place in Maine with both scenic beauty and respect for equal rights, consider stops here.

Planning a trip to midcoast Maine for next summer? If you’re half of a gay or lesbian couple, plan carefully.

It’s unfortunate, but same-sex couples have to carefully consider whether they’ll be welcomed, cold-shouldered, harassed or even assaulted for the simple act of holding hands in the community where they live or in a community to which they travel. It is reasonable and prudent to ask whether Maine is a gay-safe travel destination, and there isn’t a single answer. On November 3, 2009, Mainers came out to the polls to narrowly outlaw the legal marriage rights of gay and lesbian people. That vote was unevenly dispersed, with some towns widely affirming gay and lesbian marriage equality and others strongly rejecting it. Vote results for the towns of Maine can be your guide: where are the gay-friendly places of Maine? Where in Maine are you unwelcome?

Today let’s look at Knox County, Maine, a coastal county including the west side and islands of Penobscot Bay. To create the map below, I’ve gathered election results for the towns within Knox County and color coded them, with blue towns being the most supportive of same-sex marriage and green towns being moderately supportive of marriage equality. Pink towns, on the other hand, are those that voted with a majority in opposition to marriage equality; yellow towns would signify those towns that rejected gay and lesbian people getting married by a large margin.

You may have heard that island people are an unwelcoming lot, but that’s not the case for the islands of Knox County. Vinalhaven, North Haven, Isle au Haut and the remote island of Matinicus all turned out to affirm marriage equality for gay and lesbian couples, by large margins on three of the four islands.

The rest of Knox County is more of a mixed bag. Camden, Rockport, and Rockland (three towns of fewer than 10,000 people) form a hub of tolerance on the coast, making a good home base for both outdoors and cultural activities. For a more quiet and remote Maine experience on the mainland, consider the St. George Peninsula; ferries depart from Port Clyde to Monhegan Island and kayaks take advantage of the sweet spot between the coast and the protecting islands just offshore. And is Hope hip? New Yorkers may snort at the suggestion, but that city has millions of people at its disposal. What town of a thousand people scattered among wooded hills do you know of that throws together a jazz festival? The vote in Hope demonstrates an open attitude to life’s possibilities.

As for the rest of Knox County, Maine? Well, herm. Friendship isn’t friendly and Union doesn’t respect your union. The rest of the towns of Knox County don’t want your kind or respect your rights; why visit the more intolerant towns when natural beauty and the social grace of respect are close at hand?

I’ve been looking at the towns of Maine from county to county, comparing them according to their November 2009 vote to preserve marriage equality (NO on Ballot Question 1) or to abolish marriage equality (YES on Ballot Question 1). Sometimes, the results have not been heartening. In even the most gay-friendly counties, some towns voted in a majority to abolish the legal rights of gay and lesbian Mainers. In Androscoggin County, every single town voted in an anti-gay majority. But Piscataquis County, Maine marks a new low in its unfriendliness to gay and lesbian people. In every single town of Piscataquis County, voters turned out not just in an anti-gay majority but in an anti-gay landslide of at least 60% to outlaw same-sex marriage equality.

In the map of Piscataquis County you see below, the only variation to see is between yellow parts of the map, where anti-gay landslides were recorded, and white parts of the map, where too few people live to hold voting precincts at all.

The only gay-friendly parts of Piscataquis County, Maine are the parts that don’t have people in them. As you’re making your travel plans for next summer, you might want to keep that fact in mind.

Election Day 2009 revealed the moral character of towns across the state of Maine in a manner useful to travelers. A “Yes” vote on Ballot Question 1 this year was a vote to take away the legally-granted marriage rights of gay and lesbian people in Maine. A “No” vote on Ballot Question 1 was a vote to preserve same-sex marriage equality. In some places, huge majorities turned out to affirm the equality of gay and lesbian Mainers; in other places, huge majorities cast gay and lesbian people down to a second-class status. Lesbian and gay Americans may wish to consider this information when deciding where in Maine they might feel welcome, comfortable and safe spending their time, not to mention where in Maine to spend their tourist dollars. Straight Americans who like to spend their time among open-minded people may likewise find this information useful.

Below is a map of Somerset County, a rural county of northern Maine, so rural that vast areas of the county (colored white) have no voting precinct for them whatsoever. For those towns populated enough to have with voting precincts, I’ve gathered election results and color coded them. Blue towns turned out to defend marriage equality by a margin of more than 60%. Green towns defended marriage equality by a margin of 50-60%. Pink towns voted in favor of discrimination against gay and lesbian people by a margin of 50-60%. Yellow towns voted to shun gay and lesbian Mainers by a margin of more than 60%.

The story here is simple and sad: with one exception, every town in Somerset County, Maine voted to take away gay and lesbian couples’ legal right to marriage. Most of the towns of Somerset County, Maine voted to discriminate against gay and lesbian Mainers by an overwhelming margin. The message sent by Somerset County could not be clearer: the sign at the border says “Not Welcome.”

Fortunately for travelers, the one place in Somerset County that voted to uphold the legal rights of gay and lesbian Mainers is also perhaps the most interesting place in Somerset County (and that’s probably not coincidental). The Forks is so named because it is the meeting place of the Kennebec River and the Dead River, a place in the mountains where there is outdoor activity galore, including camping and swimming and whitewater rafting and rock climbing and camping and hiking, hiking, hiking, hiking, hiking. The Appalachian Trail comes through here if you’re inclined to give it a go. Up the airy mountain, down the rushy glen, you can dare to go a-hunting too if that’s your bag.

The Forks is one of those places where people come from all over the place, all sorts of different kinds of people looking to get away from their busier lives for a while. It’s a place where you can breathe in deeply, and a place where you don’t have to wait to exhale.

When gay and lesbian couples travel, their research can never be as simple as a catalog of attractions. The question “Am I welcome?” lingers in the back or the front of the mind. It’s unfortunate but true that in 21st Century America there are still some places where gay and lesbian couples can be shoved onto the street — or shoved on the street — for the simple act of holding hands. Dealing with harassment and hostile stares is just no fun while you’re on vacation.

Gay and lesbian couples thinking of traveling to Maine are probably aware that in November of 2009, a narrow majority of Mainers decided they don’t deserve the basic legal respect of equality. Slightly more than half of Maine voters acted to exclude same-sex couples from the community of marriage. But on the bright converse side, a very large minority of Mainers vehemently disagreed at the ballot box, declaring their support for gay and lesbian equality. A review of the geography of voting in Maine reveals that “YES” (yes to discrimination) voters and “NO” (no to discrimination) voters in the state aren’t evenly distributed. There are areas in which support for gay and lesbian equality is high. These are places where gay and lesbian people visiting Maine can consider themselves welcome.

As part of my project to catalog the towns in Maine by their November 2009 vote, I’ve generated the map of the Kennebec County you see below. The towns of Kennebec County are color coded according to voting behavior on Ballot Question 1, the measure that repealed the equal rights of gay and lesbian Mainers. Pink and yellow towns are gay-unfriendly places where a majority of voters acted to reject equal rights. Green and blue towns, on the other hand, are gay-friendly places where a majority of voters acted in defense of the equality of same-sex couples. (There are two locations colored white; Unity is an unincorporated area in Kennebec County and has no precinct. Vienna came down to a tie vote, with 153 voting YES and 153 voting NO).

As you can see, Kennebec County is dominated by the gay-unfriendly colors of yellow and pink. The pattern is not as simple as some urban-rural divide. Augusta, which is not only the largest city in Kennebec County but is also the state capital city, nevertheless voted in a majority against gay and lesbian people being able to have full marriage rights. Next-door Hallowell is a town of barely more than 2,000 people and yet voted firmly in defense of marriage equality (check out Hallowell’s community Gaslight theater when you’re next in town). Gay-friendly Readfield is about that size, too. Wayne is even smaller, with a year-round population of just 1,100 very nice people (and a whole lot more fish).

Neither is the pattern one of global tolerance versus global intolerance. The town of Vassalboro was open-minded enough to welcome a topless coffee shop where waiters and waitresses bare their nipples as they pour the cream in patrons’ coffee, but voted overwhelmingly against the right of gay and lesbian people who love each other to get married. Waterville hosts prestigious Colby College, the educational enterprise of which brings worldly thinking to the town, the kind of openness that extends above the cleavage.

Should you visit Sagadahoc County, Maine?

If you’re a gay or lesbian American, the question is not as simple as picking up a brochure of the area and deciding if the local attractions look like fun. It’s unfortunate, but same-sex couples have to consider whether they’ll be welcomed, cold-shouldered, harassed or even assaulted for the simple act of holding hands in a community. It is reasonable and prudent to ask whether Sagadahoc County, Maine is a gay-safe destination.

A recent source of information is the vote on same-sex marriage in Maine, in which Mainers came out to the polls on November 3, 2009 to narrowly outlaw marriage rights for gay and lesbian people. That vote was unevenly dispersed, with some towns widely affirming gay and lesbian marriage equality and others strongly rejecting it.

Below is a map of Sagadahoc County, Maine, a coastal county just east of Bowdoin College. I’ve gathered election results for the towns within it and color coded them, with blue towns being the most supportive of same-sex marriage and green towns being moderately supportive of marriage equality. Pink towns, on the other hand, are those that voted with a majority in opposition to marriage equality; yellow towns would signify those towns that rejected gay and lesbian people getting married by a large margin. The white area of Perkins township is the uninhabited area of Swan Island.

Immediately noticeable is the lack of any yellow-colored towns on that map. Unlike Androscoggin County, Maine, which is dominated by hostility to gay and lesbian equality, Sagadahoc County contains no town in which opposition to same-sex marriage is overwhelming.

A ribbon of gay-friendly towns wind through Sagadahoc County, suggesting a possible route for travelers who are gay, lesbian, or simply appreciative of places that embrace equality. The towns of Topsham, Bowdoin, Bowdoinham, Bath, Arrowsic and Georgetown cast majority votes for equal protection under law, an American constitutional value. If you’re interested in boating and shipbuilding, pop into Bath’s Maine Maritime Museum and revel. A lighthouse on the Kennebec river beckons in Arrowsic. If you like a sandy beach (rare in Maine), try Georgetown’s Reid State Park, which boasts dunes for the sand-castle builders and tidepools for the pokers among us. As for trails through the woods, fields, and rocky points in these towns? Oh, they’re just about everywhere.

Enjoy yourself in Sagadahoc County. And while you do, know that you’re welcome.

The November 3, 2009 vote on Ballot Question 1 has revealed the character of towns across the state of Maine. A “Yes” vote on Ballot Question 1 was a vote to take away the marriage rights of gay and lesbian people in Maine. A “No” vote on Ballot Question 1 was a vote to preserve same-sex marriage equality. The anti-gay measure passed by a thin margin statewide, but that overall vote masks a great deal of variation from town to town. In some places, huge majorities turned out to affirm the equality of gay and lesbian Mainers; in other places, huge majorities cast gay and lesbian people down to a second-class status. Lesbian and gay Americans may wish to consider this information when deciding where in Maine to visit, where in Maine to safely spend their time, where in Maine to spend their tourist dollars.

Below is a map of Franklin County, a rural county in the hilly, forested west of Maine. I’ve gathered election results for the towns within it and color coded them. Blue towns turned out to defend marriage equality for gay and straight Mainers by a margin of more than 60%. Green towns defended marriage equality by a margin of 50-60%. Pink towns voted in favor of discrimination against gay and lesbian people by a margin of 50-60%. Yellow towns voted to shun gay and lesbian Mainers by a margin of more than 60%. And White areas? Well, there are so few people living in those spots that voting precincts were wholly absent there.

The standout gay-friendly community in Franklin County, Maine is that of Sugarloaf: the skiing and outdoor recreation area encompassing the Carrabassett Valley and the next-door town of Coplin, Maine. Although it’s small in population, the Sugarloaf area has got big-hearted people who are more interested in enjoying the world than shutting other people down. Farmington, Maine also was supportive of gay marriage, with the vote bolstered by the liberal arts community of the University of Maine Farmington, a selective four year college. These are destinations that offer enjoyment of the vast Maine outdoors and a welcoming social environment to boot.

The rest of Franklin County, Maine? Er, not so much, no.

The attitude of Mainers who acted to take away equality from the state of Maine, who acted to take away equal protection under law for gay and lesbian people in Maine, is perfectly summed up in the letter to the editor by Louis Phillipe of Westbrook:

Those ever-so-certain folks at Stand For Marriage Maine are doing the right thing. Get over yourself and stop trying to covet what is mine.

Signed, God

PS: I know you’re busy with all your political causes and agendas, but if you get a chance, check out 1 Corinthians 1:26-28.

Louis Phillipe
Westbrook

Who is the “I” and the “me” in this letter? It is God. It is Louis Phillipe. Louis Phillipe is taking the name of God for his letter. Louis Phillipe is writing down words of his own, attaching the name “God” to them, and claiming that God, the supreme ruler of the entire cosmos, speaks them. He does so in order to advocate violence against the liberty of others.

It has been ever so.

Should you visit Oxford County, Maine?

If you’re a gay or lesbian American, the question isn’t as simple as looking into the recreational, cultural and historical opportunities of the area. It’s unfortunate, but same-sex couples have to consider whether they’ll be welcomed, shunned or worse.

Recent political activities provide some answers to this question for same-sex couples interested in traveling to Maine. On November 3, 2009, Mainers made same-sex marriage illegal in the state, actively overturning the state legislature’s acceptance of same-sex marriage just a few months before. The vote was very close statewide, with almost 50% voting to keep same-sex marriage on the books. The vote was also unevenly dispersed, with some towns affirming gay and lesbian marriage equality in a landslide, and with other towns rejecting married gays and lesbians by margins of more than 70%.

Below is a map of Oxford County, Maine, a rural county in the west of Maine, bordering Canada and the sparser parts of New Hampshire. I’ve gathered election results for the towns within it and color coded them, with blue towns being the most supportive of same-sex marriage and green towns being moderately supportive. Pink towns, on the other hand, are those that voted with a majority in opposition to marriage equality; yellow towns signify those towns that rejected gay and lesbian people getting married by a large margin. White areas are either so sparse in population as to not have precincts located, or actually had a tie vote (in Stow and Magalloway Plantation, as noted).

If you are part of a gay or lesbian couple and are looking for a place to visit in Oxford County, Maine that is more welcoming to you, try the towns of Fryeburg, Stoneham, Newry and Bethel, where more than half of voters acted to affirm the marriage rights of gay and lesbian couples. Sen. David Hastings of Fryeburg (a Republican!) had introduced his own version of a same-sex marriage equality bill earlier this year. The skiing at Sunday River in the Stoneham-Bethel-Newry area is great fun, as many visitors know.

The remaining towns of Oxford County, Maine acted in a manner hostile to equality and have rejected gay and lesbian America, often in very large numbers. The most anti-gay towns (primarily in eastern Oxford County) don’t behave in a welcoming manner and yet are perplexed that they would have to build a casino to get anybody to visit. Perhaps one day they’ll figure it out.

Where are you welcome? Where are you not welcome?

If you’re in a gay or lesbian couple, you know by now that a narrow majority of Mainers has decided you don’t deserve the basic respect afforded to people in the United States of America: the legal respect of equality. On the bright side, a very large minority of Mainers vehemently disagrees.

The homophobic majority and the gay-friendly minority are not evenly dispersed in Maine. There are many communities in which gay and lesbian couples aren’t just tolerated; they’re embraced. In other places, you can’t even hold hands with someone of the same sex without getting angry, threatening stares… or worse. If you’re thinking of coming to Maine for a visit, it makes sense for you to know what the various chambers of commerce won’t tell you — whether you’ll be welcomed or shunned in a particular town in Maine. How the vote came down on November 3, 2009 in a town in Maine is a pretty good indicator of the reception you’ll get.

Below is a map of Cumberland County, Maine, the county featuring the city of Portland, the hub of Maine’s population. I’ve gathered election results for the towns within it and color coded them: blue being the most supportive of same-sex marriage, green being moderately supportive, pink standing in opposition to marriage equality and yellow being reserved for those towns that rejected gay people getting married in a landslide.

Overwhelmingly, the people of the town of Baldwin, Maine have declared that they couldn’t care less about equal rights for gay and lesbian people. Similarly, the people of Frye Island (who incorporated as a way of avoiding paying taxes for schools) have decided that gay and lesbian people don’t deserve fully equal rights due to all Americans since the passage of the 14th Amendment. Generally, inland Cumberland county couldn’t give a hoot about gay and lesbian rights; you shouldn’t expect a big and friendly welcome if you decide to make a visit there. Frozen faces are about the best you can expect.

If you’re looking for a place to visit in Cumberland County, Maine that is more welcoming to gay and lesbian couples, consider the coast; from Cape Elizabeth to Portland through Falmouth, Cumberland, Yarmouth, Freeport up to Brunswick you’ll find communities that strongly embraced the cause of marriage equality on Election Day 2009. These places are more cosmopolitan, more open-minded, and have vibrant resident communities of gay and lesbian Mainers who will welcome you with open arms.