Legislators vote to defeat same-sex marriage ban

[Caution]

Source: Boston Globe

A joint session of the Legislature swiftly defeated a constitutional ban on same-sex marriage by a vote of 151 to 45, eliminating any chances of getting it on the ballot in November 2008.

The vote came after House Speaker Salvatore F. DiMasi, Senate President Therese Murray, and Governor Deval Patrick conferred this morning and concluded that they have the votes to kill the proposal.

The three leaders - along with gay rights activists - spent the last several days intensely lobbying a dozen or more state representatives and state senators who had previously supported the amendment but signaled that they were open to changing their positions.

Because fewer than 50 of the state's 200 lawmakers supported the amendment, it will not appear on the 2008 ballot, giving gay marriage advocates a major victory in their battle with social conservatives to keep same-sex marriage legal in Massachusetts.

Read more: http://www.boston.com/news/globe/city_region/breaking_news/2007/06/legislators_vot.html

---

WOOOHOOO! Proud to be from MA today.

[WindRavenX]

1. wbahahahah!

I have a lot of problems with Boston, but this isn't one of them.

WTG MA!!! :bounce: :bounce:

[CatholicEdHead]

2. Good job MA!!!!!

I am still smarting from WI's ban last fall. :(

[rodeodance]

3. slow but sure.

[Iris]

4. Good news. n/t

[LostinVA]

5. Yay!

[Liberal Veteran]

6. At least freedom is "on the march" somewhere.

I'm hoping that once it becomes clear that there will be no fire reigning down from the sky and heterosexuals are turning gay by the droves as predicted by the nutcases on the right that we might see this spread.

[soleft]

7. God, I could even love the Red Sox

[MasonJar]

8. Way to go, Mass. You all rock up there.

[shawmut]

9. What a great day this is.

A long, hard fought victory is ours. I couldn't be happier. :toast:

[MissMillie]

10. A victory for LIBERTY!

I'm so proud of my state!!!!

[jackster]

11. Another Proud Baystater Here!

Sanity rules the day at the Statehouse.

Now where's the petition to stop Republicans from marrying each other and reproducing like anti-Americans?

[William769]

12. MA is looking better & better every day!

[urizenxvii]

13. in the same week as Pride, no less

I love my state.

[endarkenment]

14. Oh so many fundies are going to be so bitter!

A big YES to the Massachusetts legislature, and to the progressive people of New England who, true to their heritage, are once again leading the way.

[Zenlitened]

15. A victory for *everyone* gay or straight, Mass. resident or not. Fairness won!

And that means we *all* won!

Congratulations and thank you to the countless people who worked to make this great day possible!

:applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause:

[Tiberius]

16. The idea that...

... a question of rights would be put on a ballot is absolutely abhorrent to me. People against gay marriage were screaming things about how "in a democracy the people should decide".

Thank goodness the idea of some sort of mob rule was shot down here today.

[Hissyspit]

17. Mass. Lawmakers Block Gay Marriage Vote (Victory for Gay Marriage; Applause Erupts in Statehouse)

Source: Associated Press

Mass. lawmakers block gay marriage vote

By STEVE LeBLANC, Associated Press Writer
29 minutes ago

BOSTON - Massachusetts lawmakers blocked a proposed constitutional amendment Thursday that would have let voters decide whether to ban gay marriage in the only state that allows it.

The narrow vote was a victory for gay marriage advocates and a blow to efforts to reverse the historic court ruling that legalized same-sex marriage in the state. More than 8,500 gay couples have married in Massachusetts since it became legal in May 2004.

To get the proposed ban on the 2008 statewide ballot would have required 50 votes. It got 45, with 151 lawmakers opposed. There was no debate. As the tally was announced, the halls of the Statehouse erupted in applause.

"We're proud of our state today, and we applaud the Legislature for showing that Massachusetts is strongly behind fairness," said Lee Swislow, executive director of Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders.

MORE

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070614/ap_on_re_us/gay_marriage

[closeupready]

18. Excellent. As people have begun to see how these Christian fundies seek to expand control

over the American way of life, I think you'll see more rejection of their agenda, like this.

[Hissyspit]

19. .

[AllieB]

20. The next time the bigots can possibly get anything on the ballot is 2012

By then, gay marriage will have been legal for almost 10 years, and seeing that the sky hasn't fallen, many of the fairweather supporters of the RW agenda will have abandoned the gay marriage debate.

[Breeze54]

32. I suspect many of the RW agenda supporters will move back to their own states!

;)

[AllieB]

35. A lot of them were transplants anyway

There were a couple of articles a while back on how some of these RW groups were encouraging their followers to settle in blue states like Mass. Ron Crews, formerly of the Massachusetts Family Institute, blew in here from Georgia in 2003 to run for Congress against Jim McGovern, got his ass whooped, and fled back down South. These transplanted wingnuts were supposed to get on school boards and in the state house to further their bigoted agendas. Looks like the experiment failed in MA! :-)

[Breeze54]

40. Thanks! I didn't know all that but I percieved we were

being infiltrated because the out of state plates seemed
to be quite numerous during all the really big debates
and votes about gay marriage over the last few years.
Just my own personal observations and suspicions! :P
Seems I may have been right, from your post!!
Good! Glad they're leaving!! :woohoo:

[Laughing Mirror]

21. Way to go Massachusetts!

Thank you ... again.

[endarkenment]

22. K&R

Good news. Bigots will not get to vote to deny equality to some.

[pepperbear]

23. to great land! k and r

[Onlooker]

24. What great news!

My partner and I were one of the first couples married (I think we were fourth) in 2004 when gay marriage became legal. The experience was extremely memorable, but this issue has made us worry that our marriage would turn into an anomaly and not a basic right.

What the MA politicians did was very courageous, especially since most people look at the issue at a simple level and say, "Why shouldn't we be allowed to vote?" rather than understand the issue is one of basic civil rights and for a minority to entrust that to the majority is very threatening. The other good thing about this issue is when married gay couples from Massachusetts move to other states it forces those states to contend with the issue, which presents thorny legal problems and headaches (unless, of course, they choose to recognize gay marriages).

This is a very proud day for Massachusetts.

[Q3JR4]

25. Massachusetts, I salute you!

:patriot::patriot::patriot::patriot::patriot::patriot::patriot::patriot:
:thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:
:applause::applause::applause::applause::applause::applause::applause:
:yourock::yourock::yourock::yourock:
:headbang::headbang::headbang::headbang::headbang::headbang::headbang::headbang::headbang::headbang:
:bounce::bounce::bounce::bounce::bounce::bounce::bounce::bounce::bounce:
:toast: :toast: :toast: :toast::toast:
:party::party::party::party::party::party::party::party:

[swimmernsecretsea]

26. Happy Dance time!

:woohoo: :woohoo: :woohoo: :woohoo: :woohoo: :woohoo: :woohoo: :woohoo:
:applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause:

[Q3JR4]

37. Happy dance...like this?

http://youtube.com/watch?v=0mFCZS9pU-Y

[bluescribbler]

27. Jeff Jacoby's take on it.

Here
His bottom line:

Barring a new petition drive by supporters of traditional marriage, the battle over same-sex wedlock may be finished in Massachusetts. But today's vote on Beacon Hill is a political grenade waiting to detonate elsewhere. It is only a matter of time before a same-sex couple married in Massachusetts finds a federal judge prepared to rule that under the US Constitution, their marriage license must be granted ''full faith and credit'' by every other state. Same-sex marriage will be the law of the land.

He says that like it's a bad thing.:rofl:

[bicentennial_baby]

28. Ahhh, a Jacoby "Web Exclusive"!

I look forward to his rants, they keep my BP up...Someone I know worked in the office with him, he's as much of an ass IRL too. :P

[closeupready]

42. You know something? People who say dumb things like he did sound like they're saying

"not fair! I gave up the gay thing for the sake of respectability - they should have to do it too!" :D

[some guy]

29. Congratulations!

Massachusetts and all same-sex couples who desire to wed.

:applause:

:patriot:

[zippy890]

30. YAAAY for my state legislators!!

and our new Governor Deval Patrick who stepped up recently:

"Today's vote is not just a victory for marriage equality. It was a victory for equality itself," said Patrick, who had lobbied lawmakers up until the final hours to kill the measure.

AND I extend special applause to those republican legislators who voted to block this amendment - it was not easy for many of them , under extreme pressure - but they did the right thing when theY realized that you cannot take away a right that people have been given, and gay marriage in Massachusetts has hurt no one, and to take away that right WOULD hurt those couples that have married.

I AM SO HAPPY ABOUT THIS AND PROUD OF MY STATE!!

:bounce: :bounce: :party:

and Mitt romney can go piss his pants all he wants, he's outta here

[terrya]

31. GOOD!!!!

What the FUCK do these assholes who want to "revisit" equal marriage need to see how wrong they are? An anvil dropped on their collective heads?

It's been 2 years since the people of Massachusetts have enjoyed full marriage equality. And...what has happened? Has fire rained down from the sky? Has millions of heterosexual marriages suddenly ended in divorce? No, fuck no. What has happened is that gay and lesbian couples can now enjoy marriage equality. And to me, that strengthens the institution of marriage.

[madrchsod]

33. 8,500 have been married and the world has`t come to an end?

maybe the rest of the states will see the world does`t come to an end when people in love want to get married....

[Arugula Latte]

38. But, But ... When The Gays marry it's a THREAT to REAL marriage!!!

And when I find out exactly HOW it's a threat, I'll be sure to let you know!

[Toasterlad]

34. Congratulations and Thank You, Massachusetts!

I am so proud of you! This is the beginning of the end of gay oppression in this country!

:bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce:

[xchrom]

36. ...

:applause: :woohoo: :applause: :woohoo: :applause: :woohoo: :applause: :woohoo: :applause: :woohoo: :applause: :woohoo: :applause: :woohoo: :applause: :woohoo: :applause: :woohoo: :applause: :woohoo: :applause: :woohoo: :applause: :woohoo: :applause: :woohoo: :applause: :woohoo: :applause: :woohoo: :applause: :woohoo: :applause: :woohoo: :applause: :woohoo: :applause: :woohoo: :applause: :woohoo: :applause: :woohoo: :applause: :woohoo: :applause: :woohoo: :applause: :woohoo: :applause: :woohoo: :applause: :woohoo: :applause: :woohoo: :applause: :woohoo: :applause: :woohoo: :applause: :woohoo: :applause: :woohoo: :applause: :woohoo: :applause: :woohoo: :applause: :woohoo: :applause: :woohoo: :applause: :woohoo: :applause: :woohoo: :applause: :woohoo: :applause: :woohoo: :applause: :woohoo: :applause: :woohoo: :applause: :woohoo: :applause: :woohoo: :applause: :woohoo: :applause: :woohoo: :applause: :woohoo: :applause: :woohoo:

[Q3JR4]

39. We be so happy,

let's do the dance of joy!

http://youtube.com/watch?v=GfPg5LjGYz8

[AnnieBW]

41. Huzzah for my GLBT friends!

:party:

[David__77]

43. Congratulations to MA residents.

...

[midnight armadillo]

44. Go Massachusetts!

Once again at the head of another revolution.

There are days when I love living here, except when I'm looking at real estate prices in Newton.

[midnight armadillo]

45. Go Massachusetts!

Once again at the head of another revolution.

These are the kinds days when I love living here, except when I'm looking at real estate prices in Newton.

[CatholicEdHead]

46. Day after "percussion" is pretty bad

http://www.cwnews.com/news/viewstory.cfm?recnum=51799

These "orthodox" Catholics think the sky is falling. Some of their posts show and extreme persecution complex.

[closeupready]

47. Those posts actually make me laugh.

LOL They don't seem to have a clue.