06/08/2007
Massachusetts Gov Deval Patrick Steps Up Support for Gays
This weekend Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick will become the first sitting governor in the state's history to march in the gay pride parade, according to the Boston Globe:
"Patrick, who marched in the last two Boston pride parades as a candidate for governor, has been working to help defeat a proposed constitutional amendment banning gay marriage, which the Legislature is scheduled to vote on at a constitutional convention next week. Action on the measure could be delayed if its opponents do not have the votes to defeat it."
Patrick, who has warned of a "circus" should the measure get to the ballot, attended a fundraiser on Thursday night for rights group MassEquality and said that he'll ask legislators to postpone the vote on the proposed amendment if he does not think there are enough votes to kill it.
According to the paper, "Both sides agree that 57 lawmakers have either voted in favor of the question in the past or pledged to support it. Opponents need to convince eight of those lawmakers to change their minds to block the question from reaching voters on the 2008 ballot. Supporters of the amendment need to hold on to at least 50 lawmakers."
Said Patrick: "We want a vote that goes the right way, that keeps us off the ballot. If we need more time, we'll ask for more time...There are still great passions and great fear and great intolerance on the other side."
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Posted 11:30 AM EST by Andy in Deval Patrick, Gay Marriage, Massachusetts, News | Permalink
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I'll be interested to see if my Governor (Colorado's Bill Ritter) will march at pride. He did last year as a candidate, but I doubt he will now that he is elected.
Posted by: Aaron | Jun 8, 2007 11:54:01 AM
I sure as hell hope they can keep this off the ballot. How many thousands of couples have already married? Will all the Massechussets couples end up like the SF ones?
Posted by: adamblast | Jun 8, 2007 12:18:52 PM
andy, you might do youtube links to some of Mass Equality's great ads in an effort to stop the amendment. "Better Angels" (parts 1 and 2) documents Wisconsin's experience with an anti-gay amendment to try to get MA legislators to avoid putting Massachusettsans through the same horrible process. thanks for covering this!
Posted by: David | Jun 8, 2007 12:52:37 PM