Well Done!

Maine voters reject gay rights repeal - Yahoo! News:

Voters in Maine solidly rejected Christian conservatives' efforts to repeal the state's new gay- and transgender-inclusive nondiscrimination law.

In the past, conservatives were successful in knocking the law off the books with a people's veto in 1998 and in 2000. But this time the law stayed with solid support. With 86 percent of precincts reporting in, 55 percent of people voted to keep the law, with 45 percent against it.

The governor suggested the election outcome was a sign that Maine is a welcoming place for everyone.

[...]

The vote "reaffirms the basic values that are intrinsic in Maine," said Gov. John Baldacci. "Mainers don't like discrimination ... if it happens to one person it happens to all of us."

Hooray for Maine. The down-easters have the guts to vote their conscience instead of knuckling under to peer pressure and homophobic intimidation. The record shows that a state can grow more tolerant and enlightened over time, a good sign for us all. Now if only the south would rise to the occasion, we might have true equality for all someday.