AUGUSTA — Starting today, gay, lesbian and heterosexual couples will be able to register with the state as domestic partners, a major step toward equal rights, say those who worked to create the registry. Others, however, see it as a step toward same-sex marriage, something they strongly oppose.
The Christian Civic League of Maine issued a statement Thursday opposing the registry. Described as a legal and theological argument against same-sex marriage, it was signed by 49 Maine ministers.
The registry law, passed by the Legislature this year, gives qualified domestic partners the same inheritance rights that a spouse has when a married partner dies without leaving a will. Supporters see it as an important symbolic step for gay and lesbian couples whose relationships have not historically been recognized by state institutions.
http://pressherald.mainetoday.com/news/state/040730domestic.shtml