User:Penguinxs/sandbox/Equal Protection Portland

Equal Protection Portland (EP/P) was an American volunteer organization from Portland, Maine. Established in 1992, the primary purpose of the group was to uphold the Human Rights Ordinance in the referendum vote of the November 1992 election.

History
In April 1992, The Human Rights Ordinance was introduced by Portland City Councilor Peter O’Donnell after ten hate crimes were committed against the LGBTQ community. The Ordinance was offered to prohibit discrimination against people who identified as gay or lesbian. The City Council passed the Ordinance on May 12, 1992, but conservative groups petitioned it to a referendum vote in the November 1992 election. The petitions were driven by James Duran, a member of the Christian Civic League of Maine, and began just hours after the ordinance was passed.

Equal Protection Portland was established to campaign against the petitions. They fought and debated against a group named Concerned Citizens of Portland to uphold the City Council's decision. Using the theme "Vote No to End Discrimination in Portland," EP/P defeated the anti-gay measure in all but 8 of Portland's 28 precincts. The ordinance was ultimately upheld with a 19,643 to 14,770 vote on November 3, 1992.

Campaign
EP/P issued flyers, brochures, and press releases for their campaign. They also published many advertisements that called for action or volunteer participation. EP/P advertisements appeared in notable magazines such as Apex: A Point of Departure and HERESIES.