EDIT: Wow! Didn't expect this to gain much traction. Thank you for all of the comments. I'd be willing to submit this (or have someone on my behalf) for publication as long as I'm able to remain anonymous.

To clarify I few things: I've been out for years and I have no question about my identity, nor any regrets from any part of my transition (medical/social/otherwise). I've received several death threats before, people sure do love to throw out a "kys" lol. Sometimes I imagine the messages coming through a fax machine, slowly printing out to a full paper with just the text: "i hope u die" or something similar lmao

Hey. I'm a transgender male (born female biologically, but transitioned to male), born and raised in Maine. I'm not here to argue. I'm just here to talk, if you're willing to read.

I feel like so much of this political stuff is too generalized because people don't know a trans person. I don't usually tell people.

I'm on MaineCare. I'm a full-time college student. I enjoy rock music, cats, and I have friends, family, and neighbors who I care about; and they, in return to me.

I use the bathroom like everyone does. I get in, I get out. I sit in a stall to scroll on my phone. I wash my hands and leave without a word.

Like many people my age, my future is uncertain. Living in a world full of people who say they wish for your death without having even met you is hard, to say the least. You're allowed to hate me. You can hate my clothes, my hair, my music taste, my taste in movies and TV; the way I'm too quiet, the way I park, the way I speak or write-- but look at me, first.

Look me in the eyes and tell me how I deserve to die. Tell me how I should tie the noose around my neck.

Tell my mother how you're glad her son died. Tell my father how you're happy to see his son dead and buried. Tell my friends how I ruined your life. Tell my neighbors how my brain was built wrong and I deserved to be shot out back like a deformed farm animal. Tell me how I make any difference in your life whether I'm here, or not.

I have wants, needs, desires, likes and dislikes, just like everyone else.

For the sake of the argument, let's say I'm wrong about myself. I was born a woman because of my genitalia and hormones, and there's nothing I can do to change that.

I still would have no bearing on your life whatsoever.

I'm not a celebrity, I'm not famous, I'm not wealthy, I'm not full of dreams to change the world. I'm a 20-year-old with a cat. My transitioning-- whether it happened or not-- does not affect these things. It simply means I am alive today as a man. And if you think I should've died as a girl, there's nothing I can do to change that.

But I need you to care. Throw every bit of political piece away: I'm your neighbor. I care about you. I've been here since the day I was born, and my life has no bearing on anyone else's whatsoever. I'm a stranger. A person you pass by on the road. A person you see in the grocery store. A nameless face in front of you in line.

These laws and bills are being passed against people who don't deserve it, simply to get all of us to fight against each other. To distract us from larger issues. I am not your enemy. I don't have to be your friend, but know I'll stand beside you. I only hope you'll do the same for me.

You don't have to understand. Many people never will, and that's okay. But you can acknowledge when the person next to you is being actively threatened with a gun to their head.

"These things won't affect me," or, "Why should I care?" because it will. It already has. It will only get worse if we don't do something.

Having respect for someone or something else does not mean you have to understand, or to love. You just have to know that we both have a place on this Earth. We breathe the same air. We cry the same, and we laugh the same. We love and we lose things, and we find new things to love again.

I'm not here to argue. If you think I'm a leech on society and think I'm a woman who deserves to be in the psych ward, I'm sure I can't change your mind, just as you can't change mine.

All of these things about ourselves: religion, race, age, gender, sexuality, etc. They're meant to help define and label things, not to separate us. We're all human at the end of the day. That's all we are. We only have a short time on this Earth, and I spend mine the same as yours: simply being alive.

None of this is for pity of me as an individual. All of us struggle. All of us hurt, and carry things with us that weigh on ourselves. But just to speak.

We may never meet. Maybe we already have. Maybe we've made small talk in an elevator, or passed each other on the highway; maybe we've bumped into each other accidentally, maybe we've listened to the same band on the waterfront. We're strangers.

I'm not asking you to lay out your life for a stranger. But I'm asking you to hold the weight when an inevitable shoulder of someone goes out. When your neighbor is struggling to shovel, to offer help. When you see a house on fire, to call 911. You can't put the fire out. You may not be able to shovel an entire driveway for someone you've had less than one conversation with. But you can do something. Stop standing around until you or a loved one gets hurt-- financially, mentally, physically, medically-- because it isn't currently affecting you.

My life has no bearing on yours. I am not inhibiting your goals, your job, your happiness-- just as you aren't with mine. We've all got our own problems to deal with.

Just don't pretend others deserve it.

There are assholes everywhere, in every group, in every single location in the world. Don't generalize. Don't put the blame on a broke college student. Don't fear a random-ass-20-year-old procrastinating on homework.

If this doesn't get deleted (fingers crossed), I'm sure there will be messages and comments for me. Death threats will be printed and framed to replace my parent's family portraits in the hallway.

Thank you for reading. If you didn't, it still doesn't matter or make a difference on your life or mine.

My husband and I just want to take a moment to express our heartfelt thanks to everyone who is protesting to protect democracy. As an immigrant, my husband cannot safely join the protests, so we truly cannot put into words how grateful we are to all of you. Your actions are not only advocating for his rights and the rights of others like him, but for the rights of every person living in this country. Thank you for standing up for all of us.

I emailed and called King about the possibility of Trump ignoring the Judiciary, what King would do, and what that means for Maine.

These screenshots are his email. FYI I contacted him in February. This email just came in today.

What do you think of his response?

He is talking the talk, but will he walk the walk?

I fucking hate this tax. It's so goddamn expensive and as Mainers we regularly see that the roads are in shit condition for much of the year. I'm on year 3 of a new car and I'm going to pay around $700.

Let me just say I'm a flaming lib and don't mind paying taxes.

1. Taxes should be as invisible as possible. I don't have someone showing up at my door demanding my whole property tax all at once. When taxes are extremely visible like this one, people vote for bad people. Find a way to make this paid throughout the year.

2. It discourages people from buying nicer, new cars.

3. Municipalities are not exceptionally reliable. I know from experience how certain towns in Maine are run by 'insiders' who spend town money in questionable ways.

This tax blows chunks. Our legislators should fix it. We all share the roads in Maine, it should be a centralized agency that manages them. Not saying municipalities should not have a roll to play...but I'm guessing Kennebunkport gets a lot more excise tax than your average town in The County.

Well, I won't open too heavily because this is all very new and I don't like to make assumptions based off no evidence, but at least one school in Biddeford today was closed due to a threat and they are having early release.

It may just be a coincidence that there has been a lot of news coverage about Maine's policies towards the trans community and this threat from out of state coming in to one of our schools. I don't really care about how other people label themselves, though. I care about my kids. No matter the argument you want to make against a population, especially one that is less than one percent of the US population, we don't need to threaten unrelated children about it. No matter your politics, you don't need to threaten unrelated children about it. Even if you're stupid enough to genuinely believe the trans community is a threat, you're personally terrified of people you also describe as weak and unwell, you don't need to threaten unrelated children about it.

Look, I'm just saying, stay safe out there folks. Threatening strangers kids isn't a safe place, sometimes that's all somebody has to lose.

I am a Maine native, born and raised. I published my debut sci-fi/dystopia novel, Starlight, last month. Earlier this month, Starlight was accepted into the Skowhegan Public Library and will be available to borrow very soon! If you're interested in supporting a new author and in sci-fi stories, please check out Starlight!

I’m so frustrated trying to find a new house to rent. My partner and I have paid over $750 dollars in the last month or so on application fees with nothing coming from it.

We’ve viewed 10 houses, liked a lot of them, but were ultimately told that “we are going with someone else”.

It’s hard to figure out why. My credit is average but my partners slightly below average. We have over 10 years of perfect rental history by never missing a payment, caring for the home we live in, and our children are grown and out of the house. Our combined income is well above the 2.5 times rent clause that so many people are requiring. Maybe it’s our 2 cats that people don’t like.

We started looking in the Brunswick area and we have expanded our search area significantly.

I feel frustrated, heartbroken, and lost. I just needed to vent.

I am a retired water quality specialist and I am on the greater Augusta utility District board and the Hallowell water district board. I just found out that EPA has summarized the lead pipe connections between houses and the water lines on the street identified in each state and Maine only had 29 total! Nine were in Augusta area.

Because of Flint Michigan, EPA has some very strict requirements for all of these to be replaced soon. But suffice to say we really don't need to worry about lead in our public water supplies. Private Wells are a different matter but the fact that very few led pipes were found for public systems, suggest that plumbers just didn't use lead pipes in Maine very often so they're probably aren't many associated with private wells.

Mainers over billionaires.

Five years ago today

Hoping there will be a good turnout.

Every election counts!

Maine Turner (Androscoggin County) Municipal election in Turner, Maine April 11, 2025

Maine North Berwick (York County) Town of North Berwick, M.E. municipal election April 12, 2025

Maine Freedom (Waldo County) Recall election April 23, 2025

This incident took place Sunday, April 7th 2025 at Augusta, Mt Vernon Rd. Upon showing ID at purchase, the cashier made a very nasty comment about my nationality as she said, "I would be too embarrassed to show my ID here. Trump has a big plan for you guys." Whilst laughing at me. There were other customers who witnessed this. I awkwardly laughed and left.

I hate it here. I hate that I am too afraid and ashamed to even go to my local gas station simply because of my nationality.

Update: Post has been locked but after getting in touch with HR they have assured they take these things seriously. Thank you Mainers, for helping me find my courage in this. Thank you for having the courage to stand up for people you don't know. I don't hate it here, that was said in haste and fear.

Is there any good maple soft serve in southern Maine?

Hi everyone! I’ve started a woman’s lacrosse group, no tryouts, no obligations. Just for fun! This is for the greater Portland area and if you’re willing to travel, then please join! I’m going to link our Facebook group for more info about us! And our first meet up is April 16 at 6 PM at Memorial Field in Scarborough, Maine. The eventual goal is to play pick up games at least once maybe twice a month. And to meet new people so that you can go off and play on your own as well if you so choose.

Good! Go get 'em.