Massachusetts Votes to Allow Out-of-State Same-Sex Marriages

Same-sex couples from out-of--state should soon be able to marry in Massachusetts, as the House voted this afternoon 118-35 to repeal the 1913 law forbidding couples from marrying there if the marriage wouldn't be recognized in their home state.

The senate has already approved the repeal and Governor Deval Patrick has indicated he'll sign it.

The Boston Globe reports: "Unlike the Senate, which quickly voted to repeal the law on a unanimous voice vote, the House debated the bill for about 45 minutes. Supporters of the repeal called the law archaic and rooted in racism, urging fellow lawmakers to strip it from the books in the interest of equality. Repeal opponents argued for keeping the law in deference to other states, to prevent legal tangles involving couples who would marry in Massachusetts and want rights in states where gay marriage is outlawed...The 1913 law grew out of the national backlash over the interracial marriage of heavyweight boxing champion Jack Johnson, Rushing said today during the debate. At the time, 30 of 48 states banned interracial marriage, and many other states, including Massachusetts, enacted provisions that would keep interracial couples from crossing borders to marry in their jurisdiction. The law remained on the books but fell into obscurity until gay marriage became legalized in Massachusetts, and Governor Mitt Romney cited the law as a means to prevent Massachusetts from becoming what he called 'the Las Vegas of gay marriage.'"

Victory! House passes 1913 law repeal in roll call vote [bay windows]

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Father's Day and Gay Pride Mesh as Governor and Daughter March

Although Father's Day was technically the following day, it took on meaning Saturday as Deval Patrick and his daughter Katherine marched in Boston's Gay Pride parade just two days after Katherine came out of the closet publicly in an interview with New England's Bay Windows newspaper.

The AP reports: "On Saturday, the Patrick family was greeted with boisterous cheers and applause as they marched to the end of the route in City Hall Plaza. 'It's been a nice day,' Patrick said after the parade. The Patricks marched with friends in front of a group from the AIDS Action Committee and behind a float carrying male dancers clad in bikini bottoms. Thousands lined the parade route, which began in the South End and included all manner of gay pride groups, from car clubs, to softball teams, to union workers. Several spectators expressed their support for Katherine Patrick. 'I think she's represents a generation of us out there, and to see her parents supporting her in such a public way, I think that allows all of our parents the permission to do the same,' said Hannah Karpman, 29, of Boston."

Last year, Patrick became the first Massachusetts governor to march in a Gay Pride parade. He marched alongside Katherine in 2007 as well, though she wasn't out.

A brief clip of the father-daughter pair in the parade, AFTER THE JUMP...

Previously
Daughter of Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick: I'm Gay [tr]
Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick First to March with Pride [tr]

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Daughter of Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick: I'm Gay

Katherine Patrick, the 18-year-old daughter of Massachusetts governor Deval Patrick, has come out publicly in an interview with New England gay paper Bay Windows.

Said Katherine: "As private of an issue as it is, we’ve sort of had to come to terms with the fact that we are a public family and there you give a part of yourself away...And we also ... wanted people to know that it’s not only something that we accept, but it’s something that we’re very proud of. It’s a great aspect of our lives and there’s nothing about it that is shameful or that we would want to hide. ... And I’ll always remember the first thing my dad did was, [he] wrapped me in a bear hug and said, ’Well, we love you no matter what.’""

Bay Windows reports: "Patrick is the first elected official in the country to win statewide office after having campaigned on support for marriage equality. He spent a significant amount of political capital on the defeat of the marriage amendment, meeting privately with more than a dozen wavering legislators, strategizing with legislative leaders and publicly discussing why he supported marriage equality and why he thought the amendment should be defeated. But he says that the notion that one of his daughters could be gay didn’t factor into his advocacy on the issue. 'I don’t think we thought about who they loved - more that they knew what love was and that they would have love in their lives,' he explains. 'You know, it’s interesting even just thinking about having this interview. Katherine and Diane and I and her aunt and Sarah were all talking about, you know, would we give an interview to announce one of our kids was straight? It’s just not about the public ... it’s just about making sure that they had the fullness of their personality and their humanity...Fault me for not getting it,' the governor adds. Then he reveals when he got the first inkling that his daughter might be gay: 'I think when Katherine started to memorize all the episodes of The L Word, there was some hint that maybe she was sending us.'"

Watch a clip of Patrick speaking to the crowd on July 14, 2007, following the failure of the proposed amendment banning gay marriage, AFTER THE JUMP...

With love and pride [bay windows]

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Gay Massachusetts Official Cleared in Fla. Sex Assault Case

Carl Stanley McGee. a 38-year-old aide to Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick who stood accused of sexually assaulting a 15-year-old male at a steam room in December at the Gasparilla Inn on the island of Boca Grande on Florida's west coast, has had the case against him dropped.

The Boston Globe reports: "For months, officials considered filing charges against Charles Stanley McGee, assistant secretary for policy and planning in Massachusetts, but were unable to make a case. 'I do not believe that there is sufficient evidence to prove the case beyond a reasonable doubt,' Assistant State Attorney Francine H. Donnorummo said in a statement yesterday. 'Consistent with our legal and ethical considerations, I am therefore declining to file formal charges.' Investigators had no DNA evidence or witnesses corroborating the teenager's story, according to the statement, which outlined the problems in the case."

The paper reports that it's unclear whether or not McGee, a Rhodes scholar and Harvard Law School graduate who was "instrumental in defeating efforts to overturn the legalization of gay marriage in the state," will return to his job. He was placed on unpaid leave in early January.

McGee's lawyer made this statement: "The state attorney in Lee County, Fla., after a thorough investigation, has decided that no charges should be brought against Stan McGee. Mr. McGee believes the decision by the Florida prosecutor not to pursue this case speaks for itself, and he looks forward to going on with his life."

Prosecutors clear official in Fla. sex case [boston globe]

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Barack Obama Lifts Speech from Deval Patrick: Just Words?

Barack Obama has been lauded over the course of this campaign for his beautiful speeches. On Saturday, in Wisconsin, Obama made a speech with uncanny similarities to a speech given by Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick when he was running for governor in October 2006.

Both speeches also appear to be reactions against criticism that the candidate's platform is all rhetoric and no substance.

UPDATE: From today's NY Times...

"In a telephone interview on Sunday, Mr. Patrick said that he and Mr. Obama first talked about the attacks from their respective rivals last summer, when Mrs. Clinton was raising questions about Mr. Obama’s experience, and that they discussed them again last week. Both men had anticipated that Mr. Obama’s rhetorical strength would provide a point of criticism. Mr. Patrick said he told Mr. Obama that he should respond to the criticism, and he shared language from his campaign with Mr. Obama’s speechwriters. Mr. Patrick said he did not believe Mr. Obama should give him credit. 'Who knows who I am? The point is more important than whose argument it is,' said Mr. Patrick, who telephoned The New York Times at the request of the Obama campaign. 'It’s a transcendent argument.' David Axelrod, the chief strategist for Mr. Obama who also advised Mr. Patrick, said Sunday that Mr. Obama adapted the words from Mr. Patrick. Mr. Axelrod said that he did not write the words for either candidate..."

UPDATE II: Obama responds..."'He has occasionally used lines of mine. I have occasionally used some words of his. I know Sen. Clinton has used words of mind as well. I don’t think that is something that workers here are concerned about,' he said, adding that 'I'm sure I should have' given credit to Patrick. Bottom line: 'I really don’t think this is too big of a deal,' Obama said."

Check out a comparison clip, AFTER THE JUMP...

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Gay Aide to Massachusetts Gov. Patrick Charged with Sexual Assault

Carl Stanley McGee. a 38-year-old aide to Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick, has been charged with sexually assaulting a 15-year-old male at a steam room in December at the Gasparilla Inn on the island of Boca Grande on Florida's west coast, the Boston Globe reports:

"According to police reports, McGee was arrested Dec. 28 and accused of performing oral sex on the 15-year-old, who was a guest at The Gasparilla Inn & Club, a 95-year-old hotel and championship golf course in Boca Grande. McGee was held overnight on a $300,000 bond. Few state employees were aware of the arrest. An account had appeared in the local newspaper, the Boca Beacon. McGee's co-workers said they had been told he was out sick. McGee, whose annual salary is approximately $150,000, could not be reached for comment. His lawyer, Charles Rankin, did not return phone calls from the Globe."

Friends and supporters of McGee told the Globe they don't believe the incident happened. McGee allegedly masturbated and performed oral sex on the teenager, who later identified him to police.

The Globe adds: "McGee, a former Rhodes scholar and Harvard Law School graduate, was previously a corporate lawyer at the law firm WilmerHale. He was instrumental in the movement seeking to defeat efforts to overturn legalization of same-sex marriage, serving as director of the civic and business outreach efforts of the advocacy group MassEquality. A year after same-sex marriage became legal in Massachusetts in May 2004, McGee's wedding to John Finley IV was highlighted in the 'Vows' section of The New York Times. Former state senator Jarrett T. Barrios officiated."

McGee was placed on administrative leave January 7th and is scheduled to be arraigned on February 11th.

Key aide to Patrick accused of sex assault [boston globe]
Boston man faces assault charges [boca beacon]
(via wonkette)

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One Day in Massachusetts: Gay Marriage Ban Defeated

Here's a first-hand account from Marty Rouse, Human Rights Campaign National Field Director, of the events leading up to yesterday's vote 151-45 vote that defeated the proposed amendment banning gay marriage in Massachusetts.

He describes the moments after the vote like this: "Over in four minutes. The building is shaking with thousands yelling to the legislators as they gather in Nurses' Hall: 'THANK YOU! THANK YOU!' Senate president Therese Murray is the first to address the crowd to shouts of, 'We LOVE Terry Murray!' Hundreds shouting, cheering, crying tears of joy. David Wilson, one of the original plaintiff couples is here hugging everyone...Governor Deval Patrick is now addressing the crowd, or trying to. The crowd is going wild. 'Thank you, Deval!' 'Today the freedom to marry is secure,' he begins, to wild cheering."

Scenes outside the statehouse.

For (left) and against (right).

This woman, Diane Steele of Richmond, Mass., was arrested by police. Following the vote, she reportedly slapped gay rights supporter Jack Kirschenbaun (above), of Malden, Mass. as they argued their positions. Buh-bye.

Here's a video from TakeMassAction showing the Religious Coalition for the Freedom to Marry after they left their interfaith service and arrived at the statehouse to join pro-equality demonstrators.

Finally, I encourage everyone to read this op-ed by Representative Gale Candaras, a Democrat from Wilbraham, who voted for the proposed amendment back in January but changed her mind this time. It's a powerful piece which reveals how hearts and minds can be changed through education, experience, tolerance, and understanding.

Here's a bit of it: "I know from listening to my constituents, since I first became Senator this year that this vote, the vote I take today, is the right vote for the people I serve. I have been most impressed by the number of individuals who have called me and asked me to change my vote because they have changed their minds. One grandmother told me she had changed her mind and wanted me to change my vote in case one of her grandchildren grew up to be gay or lesbian. She did not want any of her grandchildren to be denied the right to marry the person they love. This is exactly the legacy we will leave to generations beyond us, and the example we can set for the nation and, I daresay the world, which is certainly paying attention to what we do and say here today."

Thank you Ms. Canderas, for approaching the issue with an open heart and mind. And Governor Deval Patrick and all the others who worked hard to defeat the bigoted piece of legislation. All in all, a fantastic day in Massachusetts.

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UPDATE: Massachusetts Gay Marriage Ban Defeated [tr]

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UPDATE: Massachusetts Gay Marriage Ban Defeated

UPDATE: By a vote of 151-45, the proposed amendment banning gay marriage has been defeated in the Massachusetts Legislature!

Earlier:

Here's the scene outside the Massachusetts statehouse as activists on both sides of the gay marriage debate await a vote by the constitutional convention scheduled to convene at 1 pm.

Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick and others have been furiously lobbying lawmakers in an effort to get them to vote against allowing a proposed constitutional amendment that would ban gay marriage on the 2008 ballot.

The Associated Press says that the "push seemed to be gaining ground" with some lawmakers reconsidering their previous votes in favor of the amendment. The measure must receive 50 votes in two consecutive sessions to be approved and already won approval in January on the last session's final day.

Said Patrick: "We're working right down to the wire."

Supporters of the ban were working fervently as well. Said Kris Mineau, president of the Massachusetts Family Institute: "When we hear rumors of possible changes of votes we contact that lawmaker immediately. Every indication we have so far is that our votes are holding firm. These are people of principle who believe in the people's right to define marriage."

Gay marriage has been legal in Massachusetts since 2004.

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Former MA Governor William Weld Against Gay Marriage Ban

During a joint session of the Massachusetts House and Senate this Thursday, a proposed amendment that would ban gay marriage is to be considered.

The AP reports: "They have three options: send the question to voters next year, kill it or postpone the vote. Both sides have pumped thousands of dollars into television, radio, Internet and telephone campaigns. Amendment supporters accuse Governor Patrick of trading job offers for votes, something Patrick denies."

Patrick has been campaigning heavily against the amendment, saying he will force a postponement if he sees a vote coming without enough support to kill it. He also appeared in last week's Gay Pride parade in Boston, the first Massachusetts governor to march at the event.

Now, former Massachusetts Governor William Weld has also come out against the amendment:

"Weld, in the Statehouse on behalf of Lehman Brothers, an investment banking firm, said: 'I hope it doesn't go on the ballot.' He said if a constitutional convention votes Thursday to allow the measure on the November 2008 ballot, 'I think it's going to be a distraction for the next 18 months.' Weld was an avid supporter of gay rights while serving as governor from 1991 to 1997, and he later attended the wedding of his former chief of staff, Kevin Smith, who is gay. Yet in 2005, while gearing up for a gubernatorial campaign in New York, Weld was quoted in the New York media that he did not support gay marriage beyond his former state."

Patrick has agreed that such a ballot initiative would create a "circus".

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Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick First to March with Pride

Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick became the first governor of that state to march in a gay pride parade on Saturday which he did alongside his daughter Katherine and Boston Mayor Thomas Menino.

Patrick is working feverishly, along with other lawmakers, to sway the legislature and keep a divisive proposal to ban gay marriage in that state off the ballot. The measure comes up for a vote this week.

From WCVB in Boston: "The man who will be under the gun will be House Speaker Sal DiMasi, a supporter of gay marriage. He has three days before a scheduled Constitutional Convention to convince enough lawmakers to vote against the proposed amendment. Back in January, when the plan won enough votes to move forward, most of the votes came from the House, but the margin in favor of the ban has narrowed, according to newspaper reports. Thursday, it would take at least 50 votes or one quarter of the Legislature, to vote in favor of the amendment for it to move forward. It must be approved in two consecutive sessions to win a place on the ballot."

Recently...
Massachusetts Gov Deval Patrick Steps Up Support for Gays [tr]
Massachusetts Gov Warns of "Circus" Over Anti-gay Amendment [tr]
Massachusetts Gov. Patrick Orders 26 Gay Marriages Recorded [tr]
Rhode Island to Recognize Massachusetts Gay Marriages [tr]
Judge: Gay Rhode Island Couple can Marry in Massachusetts [tr]

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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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Massachusetts Gov Warns of "Circus" Over Anti-gay Amendment

Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick warns of the coming political storm should the wingnuts' proposed amendment to ban gay marriage, which has been legal there since 2004, makes it to the ballot.

Said Patrick: "If this does get to a popular ballot, there is very little other business that will get done in Massachusetts politics and policy making while that is pending. Rather than turn Massachusetts into a political circus for a national debate over something which is largely settled here, my own view is that we ought to resolve this on the merits so that it stays off the ballot, and to do so at the constitutional convention."

Currently 57 lawmakers are seen as supporting the amendment, which requires 50 votes this legislative session to make it to the statewide ballot. In January, the previous legislature approved the amendment on the final day of the legislative session. Massachusetts law requires a proposed amendment to the state constitution to be backed by one quarter (50) of the state's lawmakers in two legislative sessions before it can proceed to the ballot.

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Massachusetts Gov. Patrick Orders 26 Gay Marriages Recorded

Reversing an order by former Governor Mitt Romney that blocked the state from officially recording 26 gay marriages by out-of-state couples, Governor Deval Patrick has told the Department of Public Health to put them on the books.

The Boston Globe reports: "Patrick's move emphasizes his administration's sharp differences with his predecessor on gay marriage. The issue is largely symbolic; neither Romney's refusal to record the marriages nor Patrick's reversal of that order affects the legal status of the marriages. But an aide said Patrick wanted to reverse an action taken by Romney that the new administration sees as discriminatory."

Said Patrick's spokesman: "There was no legal basis for separating these certificates in the first place. It appears like the prior administration was politicizing a routine administrative function."

Patrick's decision was criticized by Romney's spokesman, Eric Fehrnstrom: "It was Governor Romney's enforcement of this law that stopped gay marriage from being visited on every other state in the country. Now that Governor Romney is out of office, we are seeing an erosion of the previously strong defense of traditional marriage coming out of the executive branch."

A 1913 law prohibits out of state couples from marrying in Massachusetts if the couple's home state does not recognize the union as legal. In February, Rhode Island Attorney General Patrick Lynch issued a directive indicating that same-sex marriages made in Massachusetts would be recognized in that state.

Arline Isaacson, cochairwoman of the Massachusetts Gay and Lesbian Political Caucus, praised Patrick's decision: "It's very significant, and it is yet one more example of the huge difference between Patrick and Romney. Patrick is dedicated to equalizing the playing field for the gay community and ending all forms of discrimination."

26 Gay Marriages to be Recorded [boston globe]

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Gay Marriage in Massachusetts: The Next Step

Massachusetts Governor-Elect Deval Patrick says he was surprised by the quick vote on the proposed amendment to ban gay marriage and hadn't heard about the Supreme Judicial Court's advice to the legislature that they should vote on the measure:

"I learned about the SJC's decision the day before I came up here, because I had been out of the country until then. There was a strategy in place when I left the country. That strategy changed while I was away, and I did what I could before I had any power to influence these outcomes. That changes tomorrow....This fight isn't over."

Governor Mitt Romney called the vote a "huge victory for the people of Massachusetts" (except for, of course, the 8,000 same-sex couples who have married): "In a democracy, the voice of the people is sovereign. I congratulate the Legislature and its leadership for upholding the Constitution and the rule of law."

Massachusetts lawmakers will be asked to vote again in the next session, but the body of the legislature will have changed: "A total of 17 lawmakers who voted Tuesday won't be returning in the new session, including some of the most vocal opponents of same-sex marriage. Gay marriage supporters say the new members will give them a net gain of seven opponents to the proposed amendment in the upcoming session."

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