The Maine Senate passed a marriage equality bill Thursday on a 21-14 vote.  The bill will now be taken up by the State House, which could happen as early as Tuesday.  If approved by House, the bill will require the signature of the governor before becoming law.

WCSH6, a local news affiliate, reports:

The Maine state senate has voted on one of the most controversial bills this year. The bill proposes to legalize gay marriage in Maine.

Debate on the bill began Thursday morning.

In an initial preliminary vote it was 20 to 15 in favor of passing the bill — but the senate discussed adding an amendment to the bill to put it out to vote. That amendment was rejected 22 to 13.

The senate then returned to voting on the original measure, and that was supported 21 to 14 this time.

The House of Representatives is adjourned until next Tuesday.

Two days ago, a legislative committee that held hearings on the bill recommended 11 to 2 to that the bill ought to pass.

During the debate over the expansion of federal hate crimes legislation to extend protection to, among others, LGBT citizens, two of the most passionate speeches were delivered by Chairman Barney Frank and Rep. Tammy Baldwin, both former Victory Fund endorsees. The bill was passed yesterday in the House of Representatives and will now be taken up by the Senate.

Watch Chairman Frank’s remarks:

Watch Rep. Baldwin’s remarks:

An Advocate article marking President Barack Obama’s first 100 days in office finds the leaders of the nation’s largest LGBT groups praising the administration’s inclusive attitude.  Rea Carey, executive director of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, told the Advocate, “I’ve been doing Washington advocacy work since 1989, and this particular administration feels not only more inviting or receptive of the community but, quite frankly, more proactive.”

The Advocate reports:

Since taking office, President Obama’s administration has joined the United Nations statement condemning human rights violations based on sexual orientation and gender identity, appointed John Berry to the highest ranking Administration position ever held by an openly gay person, and, perhaps most importantly, markedly increased the community’s access to the White House on any number of fronts.

The Victory Fund’s Chuck Wolfe, speaking about the more than 30 openly LGBT presidential appointees so far, said, “The big-picture question is, if he promised change, has he delivered it? And I think the answer is, ‘Yes.’”

Philadelphia Weekly profiles Judge Dan Anders, a Victory Fund-endorsed candidate running to retain his seat on the Court of Common Pleas.  Anders is happy his sexual orientation has not been “a big deal,” but adds it’s also a big deal that it’s no big deal.

PW reports:

Anders’ most vocal support comes from powerhouses like Gov. Ed Rendell and Mark Segal, owner and editor of thePhiladelphia Gay News. Rendell cherry-picked Anders out of the 2007 race and assigned him a seat on Family Court, where he’s ruled on 5,000 cases in the last two years. So technically, Anders is already the first openly gay judge in Pennsylvania.

The key word is “openly.” He laughs and lifts his brows when he says it, because the idea that there have been no gay people out of the thousands of judges in the state’s history is about as unlikely as the idea that there were never and are not any gay Philadelphia police officers. “Of course there are,” says Anders. “I know some.”

Seems the citizenry was ready to allow an out-and-proud gay person to serve before anyone stepped up to the plate.

“I think Philly’s been ready for an openly gay candidate for a while,” he says. “Someone has to be the first. I haven’t found it to be pushing uphill at all. It’s a big deal that it’s not a big deal, so that’s tremendous.”

Learn more about Anders and how to support his campaign here.

The Maine legislature’s Judiciary Committee approved a marriage equality bill in an 11-2-1 vote Tuesday.  The committee’s co-chairman, Sen. Lawrence Bliss (pictured), who is openly gay, said, “I want my kids to grow up in a place where everyone is treated equally and fairly and with respect.”  

Opponents are hopeful they can defeat the bill in the Maine Senate, or in a statewide referendum should the bill eventually become law.  Gov. John Baldacci has not indicated whether he would sign the measure.

Kevin Miller of the Bangor Daily News reported:

The committee vote took place less than a week after more than 3,000 people crammed into the Augusta Civic Center during an 11-hour public hearing on the bill.

Testimony on the issue was about equally divided during last Wednesday’s hearing, although supporters of allowing gay marriage significantly outnumbered opponents in the crowd.

For supporters, the bill is about ending what they see as state-sanctioned discrimination against gay and lesbian couples currently denied many of the legal and financial benefits of marriage. Many opponents, meanwhile, cite strong religious beliefs that the institution of marriage should be reserved for one man and one woman.