Gay Rights Law: Is It Doing the Job? ; with 34 Claims Filed in the 18 Months Since the Law Went Into Effect, Some Say It's Effective, Others Unnecessary.

Summary

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A year and a half after taking effect, Maine's law banning discrimination based on sexual orientation has produced little extra work for the agency that investigates all human rights complaints, though some say the real value of the statute may be its role as a deterrent.

Since Dec. 28, 2005, the Maine Human Rights Commission has received 34 claims of discrimination against gays and lesbians, with only one claim proceeding to a lawsuit now pending in Penobscot County Superior Court.

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Gay Rights Law: Is It Doing the Job? ; with 34 Claims Filed in the 18 Months Since the Law Went Into Effect, Some Say It's Effective, Others Unnecessary.

That makes up about 2.5 percent of discrimination claims filed in Maine, leading the law's opponents to say it was an unnecessary measure that combats discrimination that hardly exists.

But as the annual Pride Week celebrations peak this weeke...

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