Maine’s Human Rights Act isn’t about special rights: activist argues

A future petition aims to bring some changes to Maine’s Human Rights Act in order to protect citizens from any discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity.

Before 2005, there was no option for members of the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community for filing a discrimination complaint with the state’s Human Rights Commission. The situation prompted Maine voters to decide to put an end to sexual orientation-based discrimination.

In that year, a majority of voters supported adding the terms sexual orientation and gender identity to the Maine Human Rights Act, alongside race, gender and religion. But, Mike Heath argues that it is wrong to protect someone’s rights based on sexual orientation.

Thus, Heath wants the state authorities to remove the two categories from the state’s Human Rights Act. He argues that the current act puts the government on the side of something that is immoral.

Speaking on the topic, the activist said, “It’s (about) equal rights not special rights... the reason that I’m arguing for equal rights and always have since the early 90’s is because true equal rights are based on moral goods... common sensical kind of good.”

But, civil liberties unions and LGBT groups criticized Heath’s attempt, arguing that Heath’s proposal is very dangerous for all Mainers. They alleged that the future petition is targeting the entire LGBT population, and declared that they would fight the petition to the end.