Statement from Sue Hyde, Task Force Massachusetts Field Organizer, Director of Creating Change Conference
On the first anniversary of legalization of same-sex marriage in Massachusetts
The Math Facts on the Marriage Equality Ground
First anniversary clocks tick-tock forward to May 17, the first anniversary of marriage equality in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, a watershed event for our state, our society and our political and social justice movement. Upwards of 6,000 same-sex couples have been married; clerks in 305 out of 351 cities and towns and in the state have issued marriage licenses to those couples. Same-sex couples are, thus far, older than opposite-sex couples who marry in our state and we are more likely to be two women than two men. Some estimates suggest that $150 million in new money was spent in Massachusetts as a result of our newly minted freedom to marry. Marriage equality is one year on and going strong.
But these cold statistics fail to convey the most important facts on the ground, that marriage equality has been good for our families, good for our communities, good for our Commonwealth and that people who live, work and vote in Massachusetts support the right to marry for all qualified couples.
In a recent poll conducted by MassEquality, our statewide organization that organizes politically to protect and defend our right to marry, 62 percent of surveyed voters expressed their support; and 61 percent said they approve of the Supreme Judicial Court's decision to allow same-sex couples to marry. Here in Massachusetts, voters don't slam our courts with the epithet "activist judges" and not a single legislator who stood with us to oppose the constitutional ban on marriage equality was defeated.
A majority of voters believe that legalizing same-sex marriage has had a positive impact on kids being raised by same-sex couples because they are better off now that their parents can marry. Two-thirds of voters polled say that they are proud that Massachusetts was the first state to allow same-sex marriages and that we do honor to the state's "tradition of being a leading state for fairness and ending discrimination."
As we said from the moment the Goodridge decision was handed down, the single most important factor in persuading people that marriage equality would be good for all of us would be the marriages of same-sex couples.
If an average of 25 people witnessed the weddings of the 6,000 couples who married, then 150,000 people participated in and observed the momentous event of a marriage between two people of the same sex. Almost all of them shared that experience with a co-worker, a family member, or a neighbor, not only because it is a lovely experience to attend a wedding, but also because in Massachusetts witnessing a gay wedding is an historic occasion and something people share with pride of place.
The exponential impact of 6,000 weddings extends further when workers in the wedding industry have contact with those couples: the administrators who rent the houses of worship and the reception halls, the bakers and the florists, the musicians and the caterers, the ministers, rabbis and justices of the peace. All of these service providers recognize that marriage is marriage is marriage. They see happy couples getting married surrounded by families and friends who share in their happiness.
Here in Massachusetts, as more and more people have been touched and moved and stirred by the happiness of same-sex couples, straight community leaders now speak on our behalf. The mayors of Cambridge, Boston and Worcester are organizing special events to mark the first anniversary of marriage equality. The chairman of the state's Democratic Party, the former CEO of Bank of America, the leader of the Massachusetts Town Clerks Association, countless members of the state legislature, media editors and leaders all across the state have made our fight for equality their fight for equality. To a woman and a man, all proclaim how simple and moving and right it was that one year ago our state became the first to welcome same-sex couples into one of the signature rites of passage in our culture.
Certainly our adversaries plan and plot our defeat. They scheme and dream of a day when Massachusetts voters will agree to dissolve the marriages of their family members, their co-workers, their neighbors, the teacher at their kids' school. But it is precisely the closeness and the intimacy and the warm celebrations that bless most marriages that make their Sisyphean task so utterly implausible and interminable.
Gov. Mitt Romney may thought himself a clever fellow when he prevented out-of-state couples from being married here, but he actually sealed the fate of his anti-gay allies. By limiting marriage to resident couples only, Romney brought to life a self-reinforcing dynamic of same-sex couples living here, marrying here, raising kids here, and taking part in civic life here, all 6,000 of us multiplied by all those who care about us. Gay and lesbian families of Massachusetts now help to weave the fabric that holds us all together. To tear us out of that fabric is to tear apart our families, communities and the Commonwealth. Although it will be months and perhaps years before we are fully secure in our right to marry, it is not a matter of "if," but "when." Do the math, Mitt.


This is a little long but it is wonderful. But please please read thisand pray for people to not necessarily understand why, but to do theright thing just because it's the right thing!!!Not to discriminate, and it doesn't matter who anyone else loves.HJR 6 Speech by Representative Senfronia ThompsonI have been a member of this august body for three decades, and today isone of the all-time low points. We are going in the wrong direction, inthe direction of hate and fear and discrimination. Members, we all knowwhat this is about, this is the politics of divisiveness at its worst, awedge issue that is meant to divide.Members, this issue is a distraction from the real things we need to beworking on. At the end of this session, this Legislature, thisLeadership will not be able to deliver the people of Texas, fundamentaland fair answers to the pressing issues of our day.Let's look at what this amendment does not do: It does not give oneTexas citizen meaningful tax relief. It does not reform or fully fundour education system. It does not restore one child to CHIP, who was cutfrom health insurance last session. It does not put one dime intoraising Texas'Third World access to health care. It does not do one thing to care foror protect one elderly person or one child in this state. In fact, itdoes not even do anything to protect one marriage.Members, this bill is about hate and fear and discrimination. I knowsomething about hate and fear and discrimination. When I was a smallgirl, white folks used to talk about "protecting the institution ofmarriage" as well. What they meant was if people of my color tried tomarry people of Mr.Chisum's color, you'd often find the people of my color hanging from atree.That's what the white folks did back then to "protect marriage." Fiftyyears ago, white folks thought inter-racial marriages were a "threat tothe institution of marriage." Members, I'm a Christian and a proudChristian. I read the good book, and do my best to live by it. I havenever read the verse where it says, "gay people can't marry." I havenever read the verse where it says, "thow shalt discriminate againstthose not like me." I have never read the verse where it says, "let'sbase our public policy on hate and fear and discrimination."Christianity to me is love and hope and faith and forgiveness- not hateand discrimination.I have served in this body a lot of years-and I have seen a lot ofpromises broken. I should be up here demanding my 40 acres and a mulebecause that's another promise you broke. You used a wealthy whiteminister cloaked in the cloth to ease the stench of that form ofdiscrimination.So, now that blacks and women can vote, and now that blacks and womenhave equal rights-you turn your hatred to homosexuals- and you still useyour misguided reading of the Bible to justify your hatred. You want topass this ridiculous amendment so you can go home and brag...brag aboutwhat? Declare that you saved the people of Texas from what? Persons ofthe same sex cannot get married in this State now. Texas does not nowrecognize same-sex marriages, civil unions, religious unions, domesticpartnerships, contractual arrangements or Christian blessings enteredinto in this State- or anywhere else on this planet Earth.If you want to make your hateful political statements then that is onething, but the Chisum amendment does real harm. It repeals the contractsthat many single people have paid thousands of dollars to purchase toobtain medical powers of attorney, powers of attorney, hospitalvisitation, joint ownership and support agreements. You have lost yourway- this is obscene.Today, you are playing to the lowest common denominator- you are puttingaside the real issues of substance that we need to address so that youcan instead play on the public's fears and prejudices to deceive andmanipulate voters into thinking that we have done something important.I realize that gay rights are not the same as civil rights-but I canguarantee you we are going in the wrong direction. I can not hide myskin color. In fact, in most of the South, people as pink as Rep. WayneSmith were still Black by law if they had a great grandparent who wasAfrican. I was unable to attend an integrated and equally funded schooluntil I got my Master of Laws degree. There were separate and unequalfacilities for nearly everything.I got second-hand textbooks even worse than the kind you're trying topass off on every public school student next year. I had to ride toschool on the back of the bus. I had to quench my thirst from filthycoloreds-only drinking fountains. I had to enter restaurants from thekitchen door. I was banned from entering most public accommodations,even from serving on a jury.I had to live with the fear that getting too uppity could get you killed--- or worse. I know what third-class citizenship feels like. In myfirst term, one of my colleagues walked up and down this aisle mutteringabout how "Nigras" should be back in the field picking cotton instead ofpicking out committees.So, I have to wonder about Rep. Chisum's 3/5 of a person amendment. Someof you folks hid behind your Bible then, too, to justify your culturalprejudices, your denial of liberty, and your gunpoint robbery of humandignity.We have worked hard at putting our prejudices against homosexuals inlaw. We have denied them basic job protections. We have denied them andtheir children freedom from bullying and harassment at school. We havetried to criminalize their very existence.But, we have also absolved them of all family duties andresponsibilities:to care for and support their spouses and children, to count theirfamily's assets in determining public assistance, to obtain healthinsurance for dependents, to make end-of-life or necessary medicaldecisions for their life partners---sometimes even to visit in thehospital, even to defend our own country. And then, we can stand on ourtwo hind legs and proclaim, "See, I told you homosexual families areunstable." And nearly every one of you on this Floor has a homosexual intheir extended families.Some of you have shunned and isolated these family members. Some of you,even some of the joint co-authors, have embraced them within your ownfamily for the essence of Christianity is love. Yet, you are now poisedto constitutionalize discrimination against a particular class ofpeople.I thought we would be debating real issues: education, health care forkids, teacher's health insurance, health care for the elderly,protecting survivors of sexual assault, protecting the pensions ofseniors in nursing homes. I thought we would be debating economicdevelopment, property tax relief, protecting seniors pensions and stemcell research, to save lives of Texans who are waiting for a moreabundant life. Instead we are wasting this body's time with thispolitical stunt that is nothing more than constitutionalizingdiscrimination. The prejudices exhibited by members of this body disgustme.Last week, Republicans used a political wedge issue to pull kids -sweetlittle vulnerable kids- out of the homes of loving parents and put themback in a state orphanage just because those parents are gay. That'sdisgusting.Today, we are telling homosexuals that just like people of my ilk, whenI was a small child, they too are second class citizens. I have listenedto all the arguments. I have listened to all of the crap.Mr. Chisum is a person who I consider my good friend and revere. But, Iwant you to know that this amendment is blowing smoke to fuel thehell-fire flames of bigotry. You are trying to protect your constituentsfrom danger.This amendment is a CYB amendment for you to go home and talk about.

posted by Joshua P. Angell  @ 18.5.05

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