News from the Pine Tree State
Biden honored Bonauto
Portlander Mary Bonauto, senior director of civil rights and legal strategies at GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders (GLAD Law), was among 20 individuals who received the Presidential Citizens Medal in a ceremony at the White House on Jan. 2.
“Attorney and activist Mary Bonauto first fought to legalize same-sex marriage in Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Maine before arguing before the Supreme Court in Obergefell v. Hodges, which established marriage equality as the law of the land. Her efforts made millions of families whole and forged a more perfect Union,” noted a White House press statement. “We are thrilled to see this well-deserved recognition for Mary, and for the positive impact marriage equality has had on individuals, families, and communities across the country.”
“It is an astonishing honor to receive this recognition, and to be in the company of other incredible individuals who have had such a significant impact on the lives of Americans,” said Bonauto.”
More: glad.org
Fecteau reelected Speaker
Recently reelected Maine State Representative Ryan Fecteau of Biddeford has once again been elected Speaker of the House.
Fecteau previously served as state rep. from 2014 to 2022, becoming the first openly gay person elected as Speaker in 2020. He served as Speaker until reaching his term limit in 2022; on Nov. 5, 2024, Maine voters reelected him state rep.
Posted Fecteau on Facebook as Maine’s 132nd Legislature officially opened: “I am honored beyond words to be elected Speaker of the House. I have a lot of feels this time around. First, because I got to share this day with the people I love, including [his husband] Dylan who has been in my corner through this crazy journey. Secondly, because I have this growing realization of just how much this work means to me. It’s a joy to be part of it.”
Frances Perkins national monument
On Dec. 16, President Biden signed a proclamation establishing the Frances Perkins National Monument in Newcastle, Maine, to honor the historic contributions of America’s first woman Cabinet Secretary and the longest-serving Secretary of Labor.
Perkins was the leading architect behind the New Deal and led many labor and economic reforms that continue to benefit Americans today. During her 12 years as Secretary of Labor under President Franklin D. Roosevelt, she envisioned and helped create Social Security; helped millions of Americans get back to work during the Great Depression; fought for the right of workers to organize and bargain collectively; and established the minimum wage, overtime pay, prohibitions on child labor and unemployment insurance.
Perkins is now known to have had a secret lesbian relationship with Mary Harriman Rumsey, who founded the Junior League in 1901 to help the poor, from 1922 until Rumsey’s death in 1934 after she was thrown from a horse. Perkins later shared a home in Washington, DC with New York Congresswoman Caroline O’Day from 1937 to 1940. In 2015, Perkins was one of the Equality Forum’s icons for LGBT History Month.
More: francesperkinscenter.org
College Scholarships
OUT Maine is accepting applications for its annual college scholarship fund for Maine students through April 1.
Scholarships are offered up to $25,000 every year for four years of schooling.
Students must be Maine residents at the time of application. Requirements include a short essay, two letters of recommendation, and financial aid award information from the student’s school and/or Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). There is no fee to apply for this scholarship. Submissions will be reviewed by volunteers from OUT Maine’s board of directors and several internal staff members.
More: outmaine.org
Corporate equality leader
In January, the Human Rights Campaign announced its 2025 list of “Equality 100 Award: Leader in LGBTQ+ Workplace Inclusion” honorees from their annual Corporate Equality Index, and Hannaford Supermarkets, based in Scarborough, Maine, is one of them.
HRC’s Corporate Equality Index is the national roadmap and benchmarking tool for US businesses (and now including municipal employers) to achieve lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer equality in the workplace.
Ratings criteria include workforce protections, inclusive benefits, supportive and inclusive culture, corporate social responsibility, and responsible citizenship.
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