Lexington C.A.R.E.S.
David Parker's Anti-Gay Activism in Maine

On June 2, 2005, the article "Parker responds to recent flap" appeared in the Lexington Minuteman. In the article, David Parker attempted to distance himself from the Article 8 Alliance and other anti-gay organizations that had taken up his cause. He has also said that this is about parental rights, and is not an anti-gay campaign.

Yet, on June 13 and 14, Mr. Parker participated as the primary speaker on the six-town "Wake UP Maine" tour with Brian Camenker, the director of the Article 8 Alliance. The purpose of this tour was to gather support to overturn a recently passed law that modified Maine's Human Rights Act. The law, "An Act to Extend Civil Rights Protections to All People Regardless of Sexual Orientation", provides basic protection against discrimination in employment, housing, access to public accommodations, the extension of credit, and education.

A picture of Mr. Parker was used on promotional flyers for this tour.

The anti-gay forces in Maine were able to gather the requisite number of signatures to get a repeal question on the ballot. As the November 8 vote neared, Mr. Parker and his wife appeared in a television ad sponsored by Coalition for Marriage, a group in Maine leading the effort to overturn the anti-discrimination law. Mr. Parker also appeared at events sponsored by Coalition for Marriage the weekend before the election.

The voters in Maine rejected the ballot question and strongly affirmed their support of equal rights for gay and lesbian residents of Maine.