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Pro-family activism that makes a difference! | ||||
MassResistance Maine affiliate rocks media with State House press conference on referendum to repeal state LGBT lawSignature gathering starts soonDenounces pro-family establishment over refusal to take on fight
July 20, 2016Across America pro-family groups are increasingly taking a defensive posture toward the militant LGBT onslaught. But our people are doing the opposite!
MassResistance’s Maine affiliate, led by Rev. Mike Heath and Paul Madore, struck the first blow in their upcoming state-wide referendum effort to repeal the state’s LGBT law. On July 8 they held a press conference in the rotunda of the Maine State House. It was covered by the (sometimes fuming) mainstream Maine media, and was even reported in some Boston media. Speaking as the “No Special Rights PAC,” the official ballot committee set up for the referendum effort, the group boldly outlined its goals to defeat the LGBT agenda in Maine.
As MassResistance previously reported, the liberal establishment is taking this effort seriously because Mike Heath and Paul Madore have a track record of winning statewide elections in Maine on the homosexual issue. In 2001 they led a successful effort to repeal a similar law. A few years later the legislature arrogantly passed it again, and in 2005 an effort led by Heath and Madore narrowly lost a second statewide effort to repeal them. But now people are seeing the horrible effect of these laws on schools, businesses, and institutions throughout society. Schools are forced to have a wide range of LGBT programs, “gay” student clubs, “gay” themed library books, and promote “gay families” as normal. The Maine Supreme Court ruled that the law requires transgender (mixed-sex) bathrooms and locker rooms in schools. Businesses and individuals can be sued for not properly catering to homosexual events. And even more is being forced in other states and will soon come to Maine.
At the State House: Not pulling punchesAt the State House press conference, Mike Heath laid it on the line. He told the press: Tens of millions of people all over the globe are waking up to the danger. They are becoming aware of the fact that this force isn’t just interested in changing the sign on Target’s bathroom doors. They see that as only the latest in a long train of abuses … We can restore equal rights for all of our citizens while finally destroying the lie of special rights. Only ordered liberty can protect everyone from the same fate suffered by bakers, photographers and innocent school children. Equal rights for all. Special sexual orientation rights for none. Very simply, this moves behaviors that belongs in the closet, back into the closet. People are tired of having these pushed in their faces and being punished if they don’t submit. Paul Madore added, The war is on. Christians throughout the country and in the state of Maine are being painted into a corner. The referendum would have Maine join 28 other states where citizens do not have these laws threatening and oppressing them. Calling out the too-moderate pro-family establishmentAt the press conference, the group also sharply criticized the state’s “mainstream” pro-family establishment group, the Christian Civic League of Maine. Heath said the League has been backing off on confrontational social issues such as homosexuality, and has allowed the situation in Maine to get much worse. Mike Heath has a strong personal interest in the League. For over two decades he was the League’s Executive Director, where he had many impressive pro-family victories. But in 2009, after Heath helped win a statewide referendum repealing the Legislature’s “gay marriage” law, he left the League. Establishment moderates came and took over the group. Mike told the press conference that the League has basically abandoned its hard-hitting pro-family mission: I stand before you today to declare that the historic century-old mission of the Christian Civic League of Maine has been aborted … The League’s mission is dead at the hand of the group’s leadership… I’m the one who resigned. That makes me responsible. He implored the League’s current leadership to get back into the fight. The League’s leadership is capable of doing the right thing here. I believe it with my whole heart. Just like me, and the people gathered here today with me, they must overcome the fear in their hearts and choose courage. Working together we can remove the confusing “sexual orientation” designation from Maine state laws. Read Mike Heath’s complete statement regarding the League. Christian Civic League declines to help with effortAfter the press conference, a local TV station interviewed Carroll Conley, the League’s current Executive Director, regarding Mike Heath’s comments. Conley told the reporter that that the League wants to work on “religious freedom,” not repealing gay rights. “We don’t believe that this is the time or even necessarily the correct action to take,” he said. Reaction from the pressThe press conference certainly got the media’s attention. It was covered across Maine and even by a major Boston TV station. Not unexpectedly, the local press coverage was biased and at times vitriolic. For example, whenever LGBT activists are pushing some new effort, pro-family people are almost never interviewed for their reaction. But in this case, homosexual groups were given ample space in these reports to respond.
Some of the press coverage:
What’s next: How the ballot process worksThe group, led by the Heath and Madore, filed their paperwork for the referendum back in April. They must begin collecting signatures within six months of that filing date. Starting on the date they begin collecting signatures, they have one year to turn in in 61,123 valid signatures. Depending on when they finish and turn in the signatures, the earliest it could be on the ballot is November 2017. The group is currently building its network of volunteer signature gatherers across the state. (They will not be using paid signature gatherers.) Mike said they plan to collecting signatures within several weeks. They’ve announced that their big push for signatures will be during the fall elections, at the polls. Not surprisingly, the homosexual activist group “Equality Maine” has told the press that it intends to also be at polling places and other locations to impede their signature gathering effort as much as possible. But Heath and Madore say that no one is intimidated! Fighting a two-front war in many ways . . .Like other front-line groups across America, Heath and Madore are not only up against the Left and the radical LGBT movement. They are also at odds with the moderate pro-family and conservative establishment that increasingly wants to back away from the fight -- and make peace with the opposition through compromise. That has never worked in the long run. Nor has the “religious freedom” strategy protected us. The fight to take back our society must be done directly and without fear! We will keep you up to date on our Maine MassResistance affiliate!
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