I know that you’re a supporter of gay marriage, and because of that, it’s important that you know how critical the gay marriage fight in Maine is to the one here in California.

Maine is in almost the same fight we were just a year ago. Their legislature enacted a gay marriage bill, which was signed by the governor (the first in the entire United States that wasn’t required by a judge), and then came under attack by right-wing extremists. The same exact people who waged the “Yes on 8″ campaign here in California are now running the “Yes on 1″ campaign in Maine, where they’re trying to scare the people there into believing that allowing gay marriage will be the end of society as we know it. Sound familiar?

With just a few short weeks before November 3rd, election day, the pro-gay No on 1 campaign is barely running ahead of the anti-gay Yes on 1 campaign, when you factor in how many people lie to pollsters about their anti-gay bias. Just yesterday, both campaigns were required to disclose their financials. We came out ahead, but it’s now clear that right-wing extremists everywhere will shower money on the Yes on 1 campaign to compensate for their lack of fund-raising so far.

There’s just a little more than 24 hours left before the last fund-raising deadline of this campaign. Thursday, October 15th at 11:59pm EST is the deadline for public reporting. This means that both campaigns will have to disclose their final tallies before the election, which in turn will send a message to the losing side that they must rally their base. If we can resoundingly defeat the anti-gay bigots wanting to hurt Maine families, we can send a clear signal to those who want to take away our equality: quit now, before you’re embarrassed at the polls.

Let there be no mistake: a defeat of Proposition 1 in Maine makes a repeal of Proposition 8 in California far easier. It’s victory will ring throughout the United States, to every corner of the anti-gay coalition. The “Yes on Bigotry” road-show will run out of gas, and a new day for equality will dawn in America.

You can be a part of this by donating today.

A contribution of just $20 will help send that message we so desperately need! Please contribute now to the fund-raising page we’ve just set up. All contributions go directly to the No on 1 campaign via ActBlue. Click the button below, or head to https://secure.actblue.com/page/eqn-for-maine!

Finally, THANK YOU. Your contribution makes a world of difference in a campaign as small as No on 1!

You can also help by volunteering to call voters in Maine, in the next few weeks. I’ve done it, and I can testify that Mainers are nice! Just head to the volunteer sign-up page and pick the time convenient for you. You can call from home, without any long-distance charges. It’s easy and fun.

Sincerely,

Jordan Krueger
Co-Founder, Equality Network