Since 2003, Massachusetts has been the nationwide leader when it comes to the subject of equal marital rights. That year, the Massachusetts Supreme Court handed down the landmark Goodridge v. Dept. of Public Health ruling, which legalized same-sex marriage in the Bay State. Opponents of equality, including colossal fuckhead and then-governor Mitt Romney, have been pushing back ever since through various means. Massachusetts courts have so far been able to thwart those efforts.

Today, the State Legislature stepped up to the plate.

A proposed constitutional ban on same-sex marriage was defeated today by a joint session of the Legislature by a vote of 45 to 151, eliminating any chance of getting it on the ballot in November 2008. The measure needed at least 50 votes to advance.

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. Cheers echoed in the State House when the vote was tallied.

"In Massachusetts today, the freedom to marry is secure," Patrick told reporters after the results were official.

The proposed measure needed only 50 of the 200 members of the Legislature to support it in order to be put on the ballot. Todays vote killed it dead. The forces of good and justice were naturally elated.

The Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders, the group that spearheaded the court case that led to the Supreme Judicial Court's 2003 decision to legalize same-sex marriage, issued a statement praising the vote.

"Were proud of our state today, and we applaud the legislature for showing that Massachusetts is strongly behind fairness," said Lee Swislow, executive director Advocates & Defenders. "The vote today was the triumph of time, experience, and understanding over fear and prejudice."

This ebullience was followed, predictably, by typical false analogies from the the gays-are-evil crowd.

"We believe it's unconstitutional not to allow people to vote on this," said Rebekah Beliveau, 24, of Lawrence, a student at Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary who stood with fellow college-age amendment supporters across the street from the Statehouse.

"We're standing up not necessarily on the issue of same-sex marriage, but our right to vote," Beliveau said. Advocates of the amendment said they gathered 170,000 signatures supporting the amendment, although the secretary of state's office accepted only 123,000.

Apparently, Beliveau isnt familiar with either the concept of representative democracy. By virtue of the fact that his elected representatives have voted on the issue, so has he. Civics is fun! Hes also not big on the concept of constitutional rights.

Across the road, gay marriage advocates stood on the front steps of the capital waving signs that read, "Wrong to Vote on Rights" and "All Families Are Equal."

Jean Chandler, 62, of Cambridge, came with fellow members of her Baptist church in an effort to rebuff the image that strict followers of the Bible are opposed to gay marriage."I think being gay is like being left-handed," Chandler said. "If we decided left-handed people couldn't marry, what kind of society would we be?

Some anti-rights folks were quite aware of what kind of society that would be, and would apparently be all for it.

Joyce Durst, an opponent of same-sex marriage from Mattapan, had come the State House today to pray that the measure passed. When the amendment failed, she pulled a crumpled tissue from her pocket and began to sob.

"I'm sick," said Durst, 60. "I'm sick."

Yes you are, Joyce. Yes you are.

emotedcreations

Germany

July 2006

JUN 14, 2007 06:03 PM

S-a-weeeet! I'm glad it was a landslide too, not just a narrow margin win.

The forces of good and justice were naturally elated.

"I'm sick," said Durst, 60. "I'm sick."

Sweet Jesus, she acts like someone broke into her house an raped her cat. It doesn't affect you--AT ALL!!

yeahrightjosue

Boston, MA

February 2007

JUN 14, 2007 06:07 PM

Cool.
I'm from mass, lived there all my life and I love living there.
Next thing on Mass' list?
Legalize marijuana.
haha

J24U

Danvers, MA

February 2006

JUN 14, 2007 06:07 PM

Man, I love my state sometimes.

Tiger_Fodder

Braintree, MA

June 2007

JUN 14, 2007 06:07 PM

Makes me glad to live here!

Gillionaire

Manchester, NH

February 2007

JUN 14, 2007 06:07 PM

Awesome news.

I used to live in Massachusetts, and it's funny, when gay marriage became legal, everyday life there never fell part. Imagine that.

mamet

Charleston, SC

March 2005

JUN 14, 2007 06:09 PM

Fantastic.

wildswan

I'm lost

June 2006

JUN 14, 2007 06:18 PM

Yes!

Allegro

Yonkers, NY

February 2007

JUN 14, 2007 06:22 PM

Huzzah!!!

Synthiviper

Chicago, IL

June 2004

JUN 14, 2007 06:25 PM

What always gets me is situations like this where Joyce was praying for it to pass and it didn't.

Jesus sure dropped the ball on that one. Might want to pick a new savior...

Just sayin' is all...

RileyStClair

Los Angeles, CA

September 2006

JUN 14, 2007 06:26 PM

massachusetts state legislature, "i loved it!"

Waynbo

San Jose, CA

February 2007

JUN 14, 2007 06:30 PM

Bravo!

joker_

Minneapolis, MN

October 2005

JUN 14, 2007 06:31 PM

Good job MA

aldoushuxley

USA

November 2005

JUN 14, 2007 06:32 PM

Sigh, what next.