[3] On June 30, 2011, EqualityMaine and Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders (GLAD) announced plans to place a voter initiative in support of same-sex marriage on Maine's November 2012 ballot.

In March 2012, the Maine Legislature voted to indefinitely postpone the initiative without debate, effectively putting it on the November ballot.

[10] He proposed the following wording: Do you want to allow same-sex couples to marry?The petitions that supporters circulated was as follows:[11] Do you favor a law allowing marriage licenses for same-sex couples, and that protects religious freedom by ensuring that no religion or clergy be required to perform such a marriage in violation of their religious beliefs?Opponents of the initiative claimed that the latter part of the circulated question is unnecessary, as the religious freedom to refuse to perform same-sex marriages is guaranteed by the First Amendment of the United States Constitution.

Though they concede the First Amendment point made by the measure's opponents, they asked Summers, whose good faith they did not question,[9] to restore the reference to protecting religious freedom because they claim opponents "distort the facts around what the approval of same-sex marriage will do, including the possibility that churches would lose their tax-exempt status by refusing to perform same-sex marriages.

"[9] The final wording Summers chose is "Do you want to allow the State of Maine to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples?"

One of those, Rep. Stacey Fitts of Pittsfield, had voted against the 2009 same-sex marriage law passed by the previous Legislature but stated that he has now changed his mind after discussions with gay persons that he knows and his family.

[15] Pastor Bob Emerich, a spokesman for initiative opponents, dismissed the announcement as "insignificant" and questioned "why these people even call themselves Republicans.

Representatives Chellie Pingree and Mike Michaud both stated they intended to vote in favor of the referendum, while Republican U.S.

[39] After the referendum Matt McTighe, campaign manager of Mainers United for Marriage, stated that "A lot of families in Maine just became more stable and secure.