News & Commentary

Until this week, the governor's implicit message on Maine's drug problem was that black people were the problem and white people the innocent victims. On Tuesday, that racist message became explicit. This administration wants Mainers to believe – even though&

The law in Maine is clear: it is illegal to discriminate against people because they are transgender. As a lawsuit that went all the way to the state Supreme Court further clarified, that means transgender girls must not be blocked from using the girls’ restroom at school, and likewise transgender boys must not be blocked from using the boys’ room.

It’s well known at this point that gay kids don’t have it easy in school, at least most. While dealing with your own anxieties about being gay, there are also others’ perceptions of you to deal with. This is exponentially more difficult without support from your family at home.

The other day we received a letter from someone who read our op-ed in the Bangor Daily News. We were so moved by the letter, and felt so strongly that others should hear its message, that we asked the writer if we could publish it here. 

On Tuesday, January 19, a $3.7 million bill funding 10 new Maine Drug Enforcement Agents, drug recovery programs, and a detox facility in the Bangor area was signed by Governor LePage. This bill is a step in the right direction for Maine, and support from both sides of the aisle for funding treatment contributed to the quick passing of the bill - which was signed despite Gov. LePage’s initial threat to veto.

This piece originally appeared in the Bangor Daily News. 

As January approaches and we make our plans for the new year, it’s tempting to simply shut the door on the last one. But while 2015 brought its share of challenges, it also gave us plenty to celebrate. Here are some of my favorite civil liberties achievements of the year:

On Sunday, I was honored to speak at a rally for solidarity organized by the Portland Racial Justice Congress. Here are my remarks:

A decade ago, Mainers went to the polls to affirm the rights of transgender people. Two years ago, the Maine Supreme Court upheld those rights.