“As Maine goes, so goes the nation” — Mainers have spoken.

As a 70-year-old lesbian, I thank Maine voters for granting the same right that the straight community has had for years: getting a marriage license, then the ceremony.

For years, religious groups have professed that, once married, couples could engage in sex without the stain of sin. Now, the gay community will no longer be plagued by that sinful stain. We can now redefine marriage to what it once was years ago. The sham of divorces that has been created can now be a guide for gay couples to avoid.

Mainers took the first step toward equality for all Americans and, as Maine goes, hopefully the federal government will follow suit by approving all 50 states’ recognition of same-sex marriage, granting the equality for all Americans.

Rolande Caron, South Paris