Movement defends right to marriage equality

June 14—Hundreds of supporters of equal marriage rights for lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans (LGBT) couples thronged outside the State House here to celebrate a hard-won victory today. The Equal Marriage Rights supporters were stronger, more numerous and more vocal than the group that gathered on the other side of the street to oppose same-sex marriage rights.

Inside, the legislature had met in a special joint session, called a constitutional convention, to consider for the second time a reactionary ballot initiative that would put language into the Massachusetts Constitution stating that marriage is only between a man and a woman.

Had it passed, such legal language would have shut down the right of LGBT couples to marry here. Marriage rights have been the law in Massachusetts since May 17, 2004.

The right-wing attempt to put the anti-same-sex marriage initiative on the ballot would have opened the way for a two-year-long public campaign fanning the flames of bigotry, hatred, fear and misunderstanding in the Commonwealth.

However, the reactionary initiative has been continuously opposed by a large-scale grassroots movement in support of equal marriage rights for LGBT people. This mobilization included an outpouring of calls and faxes and e-mails to legislators from around the state.

Last fall, voters put an increased number of equal marriage rights supporters into the legislature and elected an African-American governor, Deval Patrick, who has campaigned vigorously and publicly for marriage rights and against the bigoted amendment.

Today, that grassroots movement was vindicated. Under progressive mass pressure, the legislators defeated the bigoted ballot question in a vote of 151 to 45. This killed the measure, which would have needed 50 or more votes to be placed on the ballot in 2008.

The next time it could possibly be on the ballot now is 2012.

This is an historic victory for equal rights. Massachusetts is the only state in the country that recognizes the right of all couples to marry. There are hundreds of specific rights available to married couples that are not available to couples in the civil unions that have been implemented in other states.

During the course of the fight in Massachusetts for equal marriage rights, the Stonewall Warriors and the Equal Marriage Solidarity Coalition emphasized the need for solidarity among all oppressed groups. Activists stressed the need to fight on all issues affecting the LGBT communities, including access to the same rights for partners of immigrants that heterosexual married couples enjoy, employment rights for immigrants and trans people, and an end to bashing.

On the other hand, those marriage equality activists who tried to say that the struggle for equal marriage rights was identical to the civil rights movement of African Americans—part of a movement for national liberation—tellingly failed to incorporate demands and issues of importance to LGBT people of color. Instead, they stuck to a “single issue” approach.

The victory for justice and equal rights here today is surely an historic victory. Now, the struggle must continue for the rights of all.