20-04-2025
Timeline: Gender identity in Maine's Human Rights Act
Apr. 20—2005: Maine state lawmakers approve a bill sponsored by Democratic Gov. John Baldacci to prohibit discrimination under the Maine Human Rights Act based on sexual orientation. Gender identity is included within the definition: "Sexual orientation means a person's actual or perceived heterosexuality, bisexuality, homosexuality or gender identity or expression." Later that year, voters upheld the new antidiscrimination law by rejecting a people's veto attempt, 55% to 45%.
2013: The Maine Principals' Association adopts a policy allowing transgender athletes to participate in school sports consistent with their gender identities, establishing a waiver process that included a hearing before a Gender Identity Equity Committee.
2014: Citing the Maine Human Rights Act, the Maine Supreme Judicial Court rules that a school district in Orono discriminated against a transgender student by not allowing her to use a restroom consistent with her gender identity.
2016: North Carolina passes a bathroom ban, saying that people could only use bathrooms consistent with their sex assigned at birth. The bill sparked national outrage and boycotts. The restriction was repealed the following year.
2019: Maine lawmakers remove gender identity from the definition of sexual orientation and give it its own, distinct definition in the Maine Human Rights Act. "Gender identity means the gender-related identity, appearance, mannerisms or other gender-related characteristics of an individual, regardless of the individual's assigned sex at birth."
2021: Lawmakers change the Maine Human Rights Act to expressly prohibit discrimination based on gender identity in the policy statement of the law.
2024: The Maine Principals' Association changes its rules to no longer require transgender athletes to go through a waiver process, which advocates said was unnecessarily intrusive. The updated rule allows transgender athletes to declare with their local district that they want to participate, and local school administrations make the final decision on access.
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