The battle for the institution of marriage is in full swing in the state of Maine. Voters there were denied the ability to vote on same-sex “marriage” when legislators passed a law (LD 1020) this spring granting homosexuals the “right” to marry.

Voters there, however, gathered more than 100,000 signatures to have a “citizen’s veto” placed on the statewide ballot in November. That measure asks voters whether they would like to repeal the law, restoring the state’s understanding of the definition of marriage as the union between one man and one woman.

Portland Bishop Richard Malone has publicly supported the repeal of the law.

“We oppose attempts to grant the legal status of marriage to a relationship between persons of the same sex,” said Bishop Malone. “A same-sex union can never realize the unique and full potential that the marital relationship expresses.”

The organization Stand for Marriage Maine, which is fighting for the repeal of the law, released its first television ad last Tuesday, featuring Boston College law school professor Scott Fitzgibbon. Their “Yes on 1” campaign billboards and yard signs are beginning to appear around the state.

Meanwhile, the homosexual lobby is pouring money, resources, and people from California and elsewhere to fight to retain the law. Equality California is sending field operatives to Maine and providing direct mail and e-mail solicitations for contributions and volunteers. A spokesman for Equality California said that a victory in Maine would be a sign that the “gay marriage tide is turning.”

Early polling has shown that those who want the law repealed currently have a slight lead over supporters of the law.