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20 years ago, Massachusetts opened the gates to same-sex marriage - but it almost didn't happen
By adamg on Fri, 05/17/2024 - 9:28am
Today marks the 20th anniversary of the first same-sex marriages in Massachusetts, under the Goodridge decision by the state Supreme Judicial Court.
Amy Corcoran Hunt writes how the SJC came to rule that way in part because we were one of ten states without a "Defense of Marriage" act - and the reason for that hinged in part by shenanigans by out-of-state petition collectors (they would tell people they were signing a petition to bar the slaughter of horses for meat, then give them a clipboard with the marriage petition), in part on work by a small group of organizers and some of the more courageous state legislators (including then house Majority Leader Sal DiMasi).
"A large, lovely tray of cannoli" was also involved - as was an early Web site that let petition signers look up to see if their names had gotten on the wrong petition.
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Comments
I think the second link was
I think the second link was meant to be to this CommonWealth Beacon story.
Amazing that
the most puritanical state, going back to the 1600s, would be the first state to allow same-sex marriage.
We still had blue laws on the books until around 1984, not allowing stores to be open on Sundays.
Remember learning how to drive in shopping mall parking lots on Sundays?
A pattern?
Massachusetts was also one of the first states of North American to effectively abolish slavery via the Whack Walker case of 1783.
To imply there is a pattern dubious. But for the sake of rhetoric it is nice to put the two together.
On the other hand Maryland is, if I remember correctly, the first state to affirm marriage between 2 men or 2 women by referendum. Not to gainsay the Massachusetts first but that is far more significant. A court decision does not have the historical force or weight of a referendum decision.
This in a state where the one time head of the MD House of Representatives, Joe Owens, bigot first class from Monkey County (Montgomery) single handily canceled bills for removing sodomy laws from Maryland (he was a mean human being, a vicious legislative thug whom I hope roasts in the afterlife for many years to come).
I'm still waiting
We were promised in 2004 that this decision would lead to people marrying their toasters. But have I been invited to any toaster weddings? No.
/s
My toaster left me for a
My toaster left me for a coffee maker.
maybe
you've just not been invited
Why marry a plain old toaster …
… when you can get yourself a trophy toaster oven wife?
My toaster now identifies as
My toaster now identifies as an air-fryer.