All three members of Maine’s Congressional delegation up for reelection — US Reps Chellie Pingree (First Congressional District) and Jared Golden (2nd Congressional District), and Senator Angus King — have opposed federal legislation to restrict protections for LGBTQ+ K–12 students, and “also supported bolstering protections for LGBTQ+ people,” according to the Maine Morning Star.
Reports the Maine Morning Star:
US Rep Chellie Pingree
U.S. Rep. Chellie Pingree, who has represented the 1st Congressional District since 2009, is dedicated to supporting legislation that promotes equal rights and well-being of people “regardless of race, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, or sex characteristics,” according to her website. She is strongly opposed to any censorship laws, such as the federally introduced “Don’t Say Gay” law — formally known as the Stop the Sexualization of Children Act — that would ban the use of federal resources to teach students about sexual activity and sexual orientation, gender identity, and dysphoria or transgenderism, or the “Anti-Woke” bill aimed at diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives in higher education.
“Efforts like the so-called ‘Anti-Woke’ bill and the federal ‘Don’t Say Gay’ law are dangerous and harmful to our students and educators, as they seek to censor honest conversations about the diversity of experiences that make up our society,” Pingree said.
“Education should empower students with knowledge, not impose ideological restrictions that erase vital parts of history and culture.”
She is committed to renewing her support of the Equality Act, the landmark 2021 legislation that would ban discrimination against LGBTQ+ people, she said.
Pingree’s challengers, Republican Ron Russell and independent Ethan Alcorn, both said topics such as race, racism, gender and sexuality are best kept out of schools.
US Rep Jared Golden
U.S. Rep. Jared Golden, who is up for re-election in Maine’s 2nd Congressional District, is “opposed to book bans,” according to a statement from a campaign spokesperson. He also voted for the Equality Act in 2021 along with other House Democrats.
“No Mainer should be treated unfairly because of who they are,” Golden said at the time. “I’m proud to stand up for the rights of LGBTQ Mainers by cosponsoring and voting to pass the Equality Act. This landmark legislation will help make sure that all people are protected from discrimination, wherever they are in our country.”
However, Golden was recently one of just four Democrats to back the End Woke Higher Education Act, which barred accrediting organizations from requiring colleges and universities to adopt diversity, equity and inclusion policies as a condition of accreditation.
Golden’s Republican challenger, Austin Theriault, did not respond to requests for comment. However, in his first term as a state legislator, he voted against a proposal to establish an advisory council for and fund education to support African American and Wabanaki Studies in Maine schools, and also voted in favor of a censorship bill that aimed to stop schools from providing students with “educational materials considered obscene,” including books. This language is reflected in several state-level book ban laws passed across the country.
Diana Merenda, who is running a campaign as an official write-in candidate for the 2nd District, said that curriculum supervision at the local and state level should focus on core subjects such as science, technology, engineering and mathematics, “with an adjunct curriculum including language, critical thinking and social dynamics including identity and history.”
“Regardless of whether or not there is one single answer (yes or no,) guidelines that promote age-appropriate discussions and balanced perspectives on complex issues must be considered and respected,” she said.
US Senator Angus King
U.S. Sen. Angus King, an independent running for his third term, also supported the Equality Act, although there was no Senate vote on it when it was first introduced.
“Unfortunately, right now American law does not guarantee key protections to our LGBTQ citizens, who can be evicted, denied service at public establishments, or blocked from accessing a loan in 29 states across the country due to their sexual orientation or gender identity,” King said in a statement on his website in March 2021. “This discrimination strikes at the heart of the values of our nation – let us come together and pass this bill, so we can take a step closer to truly guaranteeing liberty and justice for all.”
King’s office did not respond to requests for comment.
The former governor, who has held his Senate seat since 2013, is facing three challengers: Democrat David Costello, independent Jason Cherry and Republican Demi Kouzounas.
Costello was the only candidate besides Pingree who explicitly said he would oppose laws that limit books, curriculum topics and LGBTQ+ freedoms.
“I would oppose such unwarranted and societally divisive laws and instead press Senate colleagues to focus the Senate’s attention on issues and laws that are designed to ensure that all Americans are provided with education, healthcare, job skills, and other life enriching opportunities to thrive,” he said.
Read the complete Maine Morning Star story here.
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