Amidst a wave of bad bills around the country, it is refreshing to see several good bills land on the desk of Gov. Janet Mills. The Freedom From Religion Foundation commends the Maine legislature for advancing these bills, but we need your help to ensure that Gov. Mills gives the bills the final go-ahead to become laws.
The first bill, L.D. 1025 (H.P. 755), would protect LGBTQ minors in Maine from the barbaric religious treatment deceitfully known as “conversion therapy.” Conversion therapy is a dangerous and discredited practice aimed at altering a child’s sexual orientation or gender identity, often basing the “therapy” in religious shame and guilt. Many governmental health organizations have denounced the practice as both physically and psychologically traumatizing. Individuals who endure this so-called treatment are at a higher risk for suicide and depression. Read more.
The second bill, L.D. 820 (H.P. 594), would end insurance discrimination against pregnant women in Maine. Currently, insurance providers are allowed to refuse to pay for treatment based on their religious bias, and this bill would require insurance providers to fund whatever procedure the insured decides to pursue, including abortion. The president of FFRF’s Maine chapter, Tom Waddell, testified in support of this bill earlier this year.
Though seemingly unrelated, both of these bills help to stop dangerous religiously motivated harm to Maine residents. Please use our automated system to urge Gov. Mills to sign both of these bills.
