Gay Weddings Amendment Rejected

September 16, 2005Posted By weddings

While California Governor Arnold Schwarzzenegger is poised to veto legislation effectively legalizing weddings for same sex couples, something decidedly different is happening on the other side of the United States.

Almost two years after a Supreme Judicial Court decision allowed same sex weddings in Massachusetts, the state Legislature voted overwhelmingly (157-39) to reject a proposed constitutional amendment that would have banned these weddings.

The amendment was passed by a slim margin during an initial vote last year, but this years rejection prevents the issue from ever coming before a public vote. Only 2 state senators voted for the amendment this time around.

"I think there's great momentum for this cause right now, to make sure that these people are treated equally," House Speaker Salvatore DiMasi said. "I think the people of Massachusetts are accepting this because they've seen the world hasn't changed, the sky hasn't fallen, and it hasn't belittled any of their relationships or their marriage themselves."

The overwhelming response does not mean the end of the discrimination battle in Massachussetts. Seeking to circumvent the decisions of the State Supreme Court and the State Legislature, conservative groups have planned a third strategy to put this issue in front of the voters. They plan on collecting enough petition signatures to place the issue directly to the voters, which is likely to happen since the State of Massachussets would only require about 66,000 signatures and the support of 50 state legislators (currently they are at least 11 short, but a few donations in the right places will probably get them the support they need). However, the State Court currently has precident suggesting that such discriminatory legislation is not legal - meaning that even if they were successful in getting the issue in front of voters and even if the voters approved the legislation, it is likely to get stricken down.

Americans are typically world leaders when it comes to fighting discrimination, but there has been a conservative evangelical christian political movement surging to prevent gay marriage as the issue has come up in various courts and state legislatures accross the country. Several other countries have passed legislation specifically allowing gay marriage recently, while congress has sought to avoid the issue outside of election year banter. Proponents of the discriminatory legislation have attempted to frame the issue as "protection of the institution of marriage" and "anti-gay" where that kind of a thing would be popular, but courts have repeatedly taken the stance that the issue primarily concerns civil rights.

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