On the day anti-gay marriage forces aired their first TV ad in Maine, Los Angeles gays and lesbians gathered for a fund-raiser at West Hollywood's East/West Lounge, hauling in between $5,000 and $6,000 for Protect Maine Equality, the campaign that's fighting to keep same-sex marriage legal in that state.

Mark Hefflinger

L.A. fund raiser attendees (l-r) Lily Khadjavi, Amy Mello, Greg Delson, Vincent Jones, Jorge Amaro and Moof Mayeda

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"You guys tonight are doing something very selfless," Scott Schmidt, a veteran of California's "No on 8" campaign, told a crowd of 100 people last night.

Protect Maine Equality is fighting a difficult battle against the "Yes on 1" campaign, which ran a TV ad that looked remarkably similar to what California voters saw during the fight over Proposition 8 last fall. That ballot measure succeeded in banning same-sex marriage in the Golden State.
Once again, a law professor stands before a camera -- this time, Boston College's Scott Fitzgibbon -- and speaks about dubious threats to religious liberties and children forced to learn about gay marriage in public schools.

Last fall, the "No on 8" campaign was slow to react to a nearly identical TV ad, which featured Pepperdine University law professor Richard Peterson.

Mark Hefflinger

L.A. fund raiser attendees (l-r) Jenn Spinner, Eric Nakano, Suzy Jack and Mark Solomon of Equality California

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In Los Angeles, plans are underway to counter anti-gay marriage forces by donating time and energy, as well as money, to the same-sex marriage cause in Maine -- voter ID phone banks will be set up at the L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center on September 27, October 4 and 11.

For more information, go to the center's Web site.

Contact Patrick Range McDonald at pmcdonald@laweekly.com.