News from the Pine Tree State
Shield bill signed into law
Maine Governor Janet Mills in late May signed a bill into law that will protect out-of-state patients seeking gender-affirming care, and also abortions, from states where such health care is illegal, even if received in another state.
In April, the Maine Senate voted 21-13 to approve the bill, and only the day before, the state’s House passed the legislation with a 76-67 vote. Maine now joins more than a dozen other states with such laws on their books, including four out of six in New England (Massachusetts, Vermont, Connecticut and now Maine), according to the independent nonprofit think tank MAP (Movement Advancement Project).
It is incredibly important “to protect states where care is legal because providers are worried,” said Polly Crozier, director of family advocacy for GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders, in a press release. “There’s really a lot of disinformation and misinformation out there. And we want to make sure that in states where care is legal, that providers are able to provide best practice medical care.”
Antidiscrimination settlement
The York School Department settled an anti-LGBTQ discrimination case filed in federal court by a special education teacher at York High School and must pay the teacher and her legal team $237,500.
According to a report in SeacoastOnline.com, Michele Figueira, who worked at the school from 2018 to 2021, alleged her supervisor discriminated against her because she was a lesbian, and when she reported the supervisor she was further singled out with additional scrutiny and discipline.
Figueira is receiving a lump sum payment of $40,000, with the rest going to her legal team. The school board also give her a letter of recommendation. She told SeacoastOnline she agreed not to comment except to say, “I can only share that both parties are mutually satisfied.”
Case dismissed
A federal judge dismissed a case filed a year ago against the Great Salt Bay Central School District filed by the mother of a 13-year-old student after a school counselor “encouraged her teen’s social gender transition, providing a chest binder and using a new name and pronouns, without consulting parents,” according to the Associated Press.
Wrote US District Judge Jon Levy in his decision that a mother such as plaintiff Amber Lavigne of Newcastle “might expect school officials to keep her informed about how her child is navigating matters related to gender identity,” but Lavigne failed to establish legal claims for which the school could be held liable.
The judge dismissed a claim against the school board on May 3 and had previously dismissed claims against individual school officials.
Trans student athletes
The Maine Principal’s Association updated its Gender Identity Participation Policy, aligning it with the Maine Human Rights Act, and the result is fewer hurdles for transgender student athletes to play.
They will need to declare their gender identity to their school if it’s different from what was assigned at birth, but no medical records or official documents will be required, and they will no longer have to go through the Principal’s Association to play sports.
“It can be pretty hard to be a teenager, one, and two, if your trans, transgender, it can be really hard,” said EqualityMaine Executive Director Gia Drew in a statement. “This is an opportunity to allow all students to play sports. We just want kids to enjoy school just like any other kid. It really does pave the way and makes it clear for folks who’s allowed to play sports.”
Grand opening
Loquat Shop—featuring artwork, clothing and accessories by more than 30 queer artists of color—has moved from a basement space to the historic Mechanics Hall at 519 Congress Street in Portland’s Arts District.
“I want to utilize the space for the community as much as possible, hosting different kinds of groups and workshops. I’m excited for it to be more of a cultural hub,” co-proprietor Jordan Carey told the Portland Press Herald. “There are so many geniuses around, especially in the African community in Portland,” said Carey, who founded the shop with fellow Maine College of Art & Design student Madison Poitrast-Upton.
After the grand opening in late April, the Loquat Shop is open for business.
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