On March 27th I had the honor of photographing the Equality Maine 26th Annual Awards Dinner at the Holiday Inn by the Bay in Portland, Maine.  The awards dinner primarily celebrated the leaders and volunteers who worked so tirelessly on last year’s No on 1 campaign.  It was a bittersweet celebration, but there were plenty of tears, cheers, and laughs in the 600+ person crowd.  Shooting a big event with so many political figures reminded me of the  years I spent working in Washington, DC.  Sure, there weren’t any presidents in the audience, but Representatives Michaud and Pingree worked the room along with countless local leaders and just about every candidate for Maine governor.  While I feature Pingree and Michaud here on the blog, it was the speeches by the awards winners and honorees that really shined.  As disappointing as the year’s election results were to so many of us, it’s heartening to be in a room full of hope.

Please consider making a donation to EQME.  The coming election will bring many challenges to those in the state and local government who stood in support of equality.