(Andrew Sullivan is rightly excited about this) A proud and historic day for the Commonwealth!
“In Massachusetts today, the freedom to marry is secure,” Gov. Deval Patrick said after the legislature voted 151 to 45 against the amendment, which needed 50 favorable votes to come before voters in a referendum in November 2008. The vote means that opponents would have to start from Square 1 to sponsor a new amendment, which could not get on the ballot before 2012. Massachusetts is the only state where same-sex marriage is legal, although five states allow civil unions or the equivalent. Thursday’s victory for same-sex marriage was not a foregone conclusion, especially after the amendment won first-round approval from the previous legislature in January, with 62 lawmakers supporting it.
A 17 vote swing occurred, which I attribute to gay marriage having been legal here already for a number of years and thus far, none of the dire consequences that are warned of whenever this issue is brought up have actually been experienced. The evidence is on Massachusetts’ side, and with each year that passes, the legitimacy of what we’ve established here will speak for itself! Facts v. Fear ~
The event prompted me to dig up something I wrote in July of ’04 “Gay Rights and The System“