{"id":373713,"date":"2016-03-31T21:35:26","date_gmt":"2016-04-01T02:35:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/content.findlaw-admin.com\/ability-law\/state\/maine-law\/maine-civil-rights-laws.html"},"modified":"2016-06-20T19:48:02","modified_gmt":"2016-06-21T00:48:02","slug":"maine-civil-rights-laws","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/state\/maine-law\/maine-civil-rights-laws.html","title":{"rendered":"Maine Civil Rights Laws"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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\n \n Maine Civil Rights Laws\n <\/h1>\n \n Learn about your state’s laws by using the links below.\n <\/p>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n
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The last updated date refers to the last time this article was reviewed by FindLaw or one of our contributing authors<\/a>. We make every effort to keep our articles updated. For information regarding a specific legal issue affecting you, please contact an attorney in your area<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/details>\n<\/section>\n

Being discriminated against for any reason feels terrible. While there\u2019s little you can do when a bigot exercises his or her right to free speech<\/a> in public, you do have the right to fair treatment in other contexts. From the workplace to buying a home to spending the night in a hotel, state and federal laws protect certain groups from discrimination.<\/p>\n

Federal and state agencies enforce these civil rights and anti-discrimination laws. The groups protected can vary by state, as states can provide more protection, such as for discrimination based on sexual orientation<\/a>. Maine does protect from sexual orientation discrimination while the federal don\u2019t yet.<\/p>\n

Maine Civil Rights and Human Rights Laws<\/h2>\n

Maine enacted three major laws to protect its residents from discrimination, the Human Rights Act and the Civil Rights Act. Maine laws protect individuals from discrimination in employment<\/a>, housing, education<\/a> or vocational training, extension of credit<\/a>, access to public accommodations or services, and the right to engage in lawful activities without being subjected to physical force, violence, property damage, trespass, or threat of force or damage on account of:<\/p>\n