News from the Pine Tree State
Breakthrough Award winnner
Maine State Speaker of the House Ryan Fecteau has been honored with the LGBTQ Victory Institute‘s 2021 Tammy Baldwin Breakthrough Award. Early last year, Fecteau was unanimously elected to become Maine’s youngest and first openly gay Speaker.
“Thanks to your support and votes I’m LGBTQ Victory Institute’s 2021 Tammy Baldwin Breakthrough Award recipient!” Rep. Fecteau wrote yesterday on his Facebook page.
“It’s been an honor of a lifetime to serve as Speaker of the Maine House. Leading during these uncertain and politically volatile times has been a significant test, but I feel blessed to be called to this work and to do so alongside dedicated public servants,” says Fecteau.
The Tammy Baldwin Breakthrough Award is given to a rising star in US politics who has spent their career fighting for LGBTQ equality. Past recipients include Virginia Delegate Danica Roem, Florida state Representative Carlos Guillermo Smith, North Carolina state Representative Deb Butler and Former Peruvian Congressman Alberto de Beláunde, according to the Victory Fund’s statement.
Trans discrimination in assisted living
Boston-based GLBTQ Legal Advocates and Defenders (GLAD) filed a discrimination case with the Maine Human Rights Commission on behalf of a 78-year-old woman denied a room by Sunrise Assisted Living in Jonesport, Maine because she is transgender.
GLAD reports it is the first known discrimination complaint filed in the U.S. by a transgender older adult against a long-term care facility. The complainant is being represented by GLAD Senior Attorney Ben Klein, GLAD Staff Attorney Chris Erchull and GLAD Civil Rights Project Director and Attorney Mary Bonauto.
The claim brought by GLAD on Jane Doe’s behalf asserts that Sunrise discriminated against Ms. Doe on the basis of her gender identity, transgender status, and her sex, all explicitly protected under the Maine Human Rights Act, states a GLAD press release.
“We get that not everyone knows transgender people and some have discomfort,” said Bonauto. “In the end, this case is about common-sense values: how would we want to be treated, and how do we treat each other? Care providers in long term care facilities know how to welcome in and treat people from all walks of life with courtesy and respect. That’s all this woman asked for, and that is what the law requires.’”
Professional development training
Thanks to generous donations from Jane’s Trust and You Have Our Trust Fund, OUT Maine has converted several of its in-person trainings to online, self-paced, engaging professional development training modules with the goal of reaching even more teachers and service providers who work with LGBTQ+ youth throughout Maine and beyond.
OUT Maine has trained over 10,000 educators, health care and behavioral health providers in recent years, building a strong safety net across the state. Yet the need for community-based knowledge and support is growing. According to the Maine Centers for Disease Control, 20 percent of Maine’s teens identifed as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, nonbinary or questioning (LGBTQ+) in 2019. At high risk for bullying, harassment and significant Adverse Childhood Experiences, these youth need support to build resiliency, overcome adversity and create successful futures.
The new online interactive offerings include modules on terminology and pronouns, risk and protective factors of LGBTQ+ youth, and best practices for providing support. The modules are designed for any professional working with youth in a variety of settings, including schools, medical and therapy practices, youth camps/programs, and community service providers. It also is valuable for any business or place of work that wants to be more welcoming and inclusive of LGBTQ+ people.
Spike in Hate Crimes
Though overall crime is down in Maine, reports Portland-based WGME-TV 13, the past few years have seen a disturbing rise in hate crimes across the state.
“According to new numbers from Maine State Police, overall crime dropped in Maine for the ninth consecutive year. Hate crimes jumped significantly and are up more than 400 percent from 2019 to 2020. This new data shows there were 83 hate crimes in Maine last year compared to just 19 back in 2019.
“The most commonly reported bias that motivated the incident was race, ethnicity or ancestry, especially against Black people. Forty cases involved a racial bias. That was followed by sexual orientation and also gender identity, for a total of 37 cases.”
The FBI is “actively enhancing” their resources and asking people to report hate crimes to law enforcement. You can report a hate crime by calling (800) CALL-FBI or submitting tips at tips.fbi.gov.
