AUGUSTA, Maine, Nov. 9 (UPI) -- Maine voters have given their backing to a law that bans discrimination based on sexual orientation.
The law makes Maine the sixth New England state to enact such an anti-discrimination provision, the Portland (Maine) Press Herald reported Wednesday.
State election officials said with 86 percent of precincts reporting about 55 percent of voters had voted against repealing the law.
The law's opponents had used a state constitution provision allowing for a "people's veto," putting the chance to repeal the law on the ballot.
The ballot issue read: "Do you want to reject the new law that would protect people from discrimination in employment, housing, education, public accommodations and credit based on their sexual orientation?" The law defines sexual orientation as "a person's actual or perceived heterosexuality, bisexuality, homosexuality or gender identity or expression," the Press Herald said.
The measure, however, says nothing about same-sex marriage in Maine, which is covered under a separate state law defining marriage as the union of a man and a woman.
