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Massachusetts

On November 18, 2003, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court ruled in Goodridge v. Department of Public Health that there is no rational basis under the law to deny a marriage license to same-sex couples. On May 17, 2004, marriage licenses began to be issued to same-sex couples in Massachusetts.

In June 2007, the Massachusetts Legislature defeated the discriminatory, anti-gay, anti-marriage Constitutional amendment. The final 151 to 45 vote was a strong legislative victory for marriage equality.

And finally, in July 2008, the Massachusetts Legislature, along with a signature from Gov. Deval Patrick signed a law which upholds marriage equality for same-sex couples from outside of Massachusetts to get married in MA. Both houses of the state legislature overwhelmingly voted in favor of the law which repealed a discriminatory law from 1913 that had blocked such marriages. "The 1913 law is outdated and discriminatory; repealing it is the right thing to do," Patrick said in a statement.

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WHERE YOU CAN GO TO GET INVOLVED OR LEARN MORE:

MassEquality
MassEquality is a coalition of local and national organizations defending equal marriage rights for same-sex couples in Massachusetts.

Freedom To Marry Coalition of Massachusetts
Since 1993, The Freedom To Marry Coalition of Massachusetts has been engaged in grassroots education, advocacy, and lobbying in support of civil marriage rights for same-sex couples.

Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders
Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders (GLAD) is New England's leading legal rights organization dedicated to ending discrimination based on sexual orientation, HIV status and gender identity and expression.

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LEGISLATIVE STATUS IN MASSACHUSETTS:

Your Community—Massachusetts
Human Rights Campaign (HRC)
HRC presents resources, news, and the current marriage and relationship recognition laws in each state.

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THE NUMBERS: POLLING & STATISTICS:

A majority (56%) of Massachusetts voters favor marriage equality. [Boston Globe Poll, March 2005]

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PUBLICATIONS:

Geographic Trends Among Same-Sex Couples in the U.S. Census and the American Community Survey
Williams Institute
November 2007
Gary Gates at the Williams Institute released groundbreaking research on the geographic trends among same-sex couples. The report finds the biggest increases in Southern and Mountain states and states barring legal acceptance of same-sex couples had larger percentage increases in same-sex couples from 2000 to 2006.

How to Get Married in Massachusetts
Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders
Learn the basics about how to get married in Massachusetts.

Legal protections, benefits & obligations of marriage under Massachusetts and federal law
Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders
June 21, 2001
A substantive listing of key Massachusetts and federal laws that accord certain protections, benefits and obligations for married couples. Topics include: property ownership, medical leave, tax rules, child custody, and worker compensation.

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NEWS:

View news about the fight for the freedom to marry in Massachusetts.

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MULTIMEDIA:

VIDEO: Gay and lesbian marriages stay legal in Bay State
The Boston Channel
June 14, 2007
Watch lawmakers vote Thursday to keep a constitutional amendment that bans gay marriages off the 2008 ballot during a joint session of the Massachusetts House and Senate.

It's Wrong to Vote on Rights
MassEquality
May 17, 2007
On May 17th, 2007, MassEquality launched a massive multi-media campaign to get the message out that it's wrong to put the rights of same-sex couples up for a vote.

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