I have received past awards from the L-A Economic Growth Council and the Androscoggin County Chamber of Commerce for contributions to the economic development of this area. But if those working for Question 1 to overturn the new law, which makes it illegal to discriminate against people on the basis of sexual orientation, succeed, it will once again be legal to deny people such as myself a job. Why? Because my life partner is a woman.

This feels ironic to me.

My experience in this community is that there are now many more people who understand the unfairness of discrimination against gays and lesbians in employment, housing and credit. After all, many of us remember when it was legal to discriminate against Catholics.

No kind of discrimination is right, and I believe the majority of Lewiston-Auburn citizens agree. I urge them to make the effort to vote no on Question 1 this November and let the rest of Maine know what kind of community we really are. There are many others like me who have still larger contributions to make to our community and economy if only they are welcomed, safe and accorded basic civil rights.

Betty D. Robinson, Auburn