This newspaper should be ashamed of itself for its blatantly biased headline on a recent story regarding Sen. Susan Collins supporting a 2026 referendum barring transgender students from sports teams and private spaces. The headline was “Sen. Collins signs Maine petition for initiative to restrict transgender rights.”

Casting this issue as a restriction of transgender rights rather than as protecting the safety and dignity of young Maine women is completely beyond the pale.

Imagine a story on the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 headlined, “Ed Muskie and Margaret Chase Smith vote to restrict the rights of business owners,” which is what they did in outlawing racial discrimination in public accommodations. Or that a story on the Voting Rights Act of 1965 was headed, “Maine senators restrict other states’ taxing authority,” which is what Sens. Muskie and Smith did in outlawing poll taxes. 

In her Thanksgiving message to readers, managing director Stefanie Manning concluded by soliciting donations to the paper. Several online commentators spoke to why such charity is needed.

One said he “would still subscribe but your liberal bias drives me away.” Two others spoke of “bias in the opinion section including op-eds and letters” and “blatant bias editorially and in language used by writers.” A fourth wrote that the paper is “in a ditch on the left-hand side of the road.”

The Maine Trust for Local News has completely alienated conservative readers, and it seems not to give a damn.

Charles Todorich
South Portland