Gay marriage is here to stay in the Bay State. A proposed constitutional amendment to overturn the Goodridge decision failed after it got only 45 votes in the 200-person legislature (it needed 50).
That's rather amazing, when you think about it. Only a few years ago gay marriage was a completely absurd, untouchable idea. Now, in one (admittedly liberal) state opponents couldn't even muster a quarter of the legislature to vote to ban it. No matter how the radical right wants to spin it, this gives unimpeachable democratic sanction to the Goodridge ruling and gay marriage in Massachusetts. Meanwhile, off hand Massachusetts has been joined by Connecticut, New Jersey, and New Hampshire, who have not given marriage rights to gay couples, but have enacted civil union laws which are supposedly the legal equivalents.
It's only a start. But the wheels are turning, and the momentum is in our favor. I have no doubt in my mind that we are going to win this. It's only a matter of time.
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Unless you are gay.
Why do you want to win this battle?
Because injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere, and because I am my brother's keeper, and because any number of other cliches which boil down to the simple concept that gay and lesbian Americans are people, and thus, I have an obligation to defend their equal dignity and worth as human beings.
Whether it takes five or fifty years, it'll happen. And despite what "someones" will say, allies are what make it inevitable. People who fight for causes that aren't them make the world a better place. :-)
Biggest dissapointments via gay marriage in 06(besides WI). That NY state senate stayed republican and Governator got re-elected. I was hoping for legislativly legalised mariage in two of the largest states (as the CA leg passed marriage, governator vetoed. NY Gov Spitzer siad he wants to pass it and state assembly strongly dem although I'm not certain dems in NY could pass it with narrow majority in state sen)
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