Catholic Donations to Fight Gay Marriage Top $550K in Maine

Same-sex marriage opponents have raised $2.5 million in their campaign to persuade voters to repeal Maine’s law that was passed last spring, according to finance reports filed with the state Friday.

Reports show that the National Organization for Marriage was by far the biggest contributor to Stand for Marriage Maine’s political action committee, with $1.1 million during the latest reporting period. The Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland gave another $152,600.

Throughout the campaign, the Princeton, N.J.-based NOM has donated a total of $1.5 million while the diocese has kicked in $550,000.

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Gay-Porn Actor Gets 3-8 Years for Burglaries

Gay-porn star Taleon Goffney won’t be making any new Internet videos with his twin brother anytime soon. Instead, he’ll be serving three to eight years in state prison for two February 2008 rooftop burglaries of businesses near 9th Street and Washington Avenue, in South Philadelphia.

“Thank you for your lenience in accepting my plea,” Goffney, who was previously charged with similar burglaries and has been incarcerated since his February 2008 arrest, told Judge Lisa M. Rau in court yesterday. “These crimes won’t be happening again.”

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A Routine Life Shows Gains Gays Have Made

I was born on the day of the Stonewall riots – June 27, 1969 – so my life is an individual history of the 40-year-old modern gay-rights movement. What makes my story particularly representative is just how conventional my life has become.

I grew up on a farm in Pennsylvania. My parents were liberal college professors, but I was aware in high school – in the 1980s, when there was no treatment for AIDS and hatred for gays reached a fever pitch – that they wanted both of their boys to be heterosexual. Logically, it seemed to be the only path to a happy, successful life. I knew I was gay, but said nothing.

I applied only to urban universities, seeing the city as a place to find other people like myself. When I decided toward the end of college that it was time to “come out,” it seemed like a big deal – as any grand declaration would be. Back then, you couldn’t just live your life. You had to say, “I’m gay!” and hope to be accepted, or learn to live with the rejection.

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