Bowdoin

Bowdoin President Writes Stirring Letter On Ballot Question

The legalization of same-sex marriage in Maine has been a rocky road. Passed by the state legislature in 2006, same-sex marriage was repealed by a citizen referendum in 2009 before it could go into effect.

Now, Question 1 on the ballot November 6th will be whether to allow for marriage equality–and Bowdoin’s President Barry Mills is urging for a resounding “Yes” vote.

In a letter to the Editor of The Bowdoin Orient, Mills writes:

“The conflict over these rights has divided our Maine communities for too long and has denied basic civil rights and freedoms to many of our fellow citizens. I understand and respect those troubled by my position on this issue, especially because many who oppose ‘Question 1′ are guided, in good faith, by their religious beliefs or their more traditional views of family. But while we are a nation grounded in the right of all people to practice their religion without the fear of interference or reprisal, we are also a nation with a state of laws that recognizes and protects basic human and civil rights, regardless of religious, spiritual, and personal doctrine.”

He concludes by writing that the same values of “access to opportunity and equal protection” which Bowdoin strives to uphold are crucial American values, and they should guide Maine voters to a “Yes” vote on Question 1.

Although Mills acknowledges in his letter that he knows some at Bowdoin will disagree with his position, as yet, commentary on the article has been nothing but positive.