Question 1 on the Nov. 8 ballot raises fundamental questions about civil rights, discrimination and family values in Maine. Examining these issues under the pressure of a political campaign, however, sometimes produces more heat than light. To really understand these issues, we need to examine them within the broadest historical context.

The first annual program of the University of Southern Maine Jean Byers Sampson Center for Diversity in Maine, “The Ties That Bind: Experiences of Family in Maine, 1900-Present,” does just that.

“The Ties That Bind,” an exhibition and lecture series in USM’s Glickman Family Library in Portland, celebrates the experiences of family in the history of Maine’s African American, Jewish and LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender) communities. Through an exhibition, lecture series and an illustrated catalog, it explores the role of minorities in Maine’s history, as well as the evolving character of American family life at the beginning of the 21st century.

“The Ties That Bind” reminds us that family is a central building block of society. It reminds us that the richness of Maine’s history draws from all of its minorities, including LGBT people. It reminds us that LGBT people have always been in Maine, and are here now – as neighbors, work colleagues, students, family members – trying to live the productive lives that all Mainers value.

Many of Maine’s African American and Jewish families – some of them featured in “The Ties That Bind” – carry painful memories of being ripped apart by racism and religious persecution. LGBT families have experienced decades of day-to-day discrimination as well, struggling to survive.

“The Ties that Bind” makes us think about Maine’s past, but it also raises questions about Maine’s future. It is essential that Maine be recognized as a place that is welcoming to a wide range of lifestyles and points of view. It’s a way of keeping our young people in Maine – not only LGBT youth, but young people in general, who are much more at home with diversity and difference than many of their elders are.

“The Ties That Bind” underlines the incontrovertible economic and social benefits of diversity to Maine’s future. Communities that support diversity enrich their quality of life, which attracts and stimulates a creative workforce; enterprises that value diversity are more likely to embrace innovation, which attracts customers and capital. Competing in an increasingly global marketplace, Maine artists and entrepreneurs, small enterprises and large corporations are discovering that diversity is a fundamental element in building a creative economy. The University of Southern Maine, which houses the Sampson Center, prohibits discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation.

If there is a recurring theme in American history, it is that every generation bemoans the death of the American family. “The Ties That Bind” demonstrates quite the opposite, testimony to the ongoing contribution of minority families – including LGBT families – to Maine’s history.

Bob Greene is the chairman of the University of Southern Maine Sampson Center Steering Committee; Maureen Elgersman Lee is USM faculty scholar, African American Collection of Maine; Abraham J. Peck is USM scholar-in-residence, Judaica Collection; Howard M. Solomon is USM scholar-in-residence, LGBT Collection.

The free exhibit is housed on the 6th floor of USM’s Glickman Family Library, Forest Avenue, Portland, and runs through Jan. 27,2006.