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 tosame-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 witha 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 Both houses of the state legislature overwhelmingly voted in favor of the law which repealed a discriminatory law from 1913 that had blocked such marriages. "The 1913 law is outdated and discriminatory; repealing it is the right thing to do," Patrick said in a statement.
Status: Marriage
Groups Actively Working on Marriage
MassEquality: a coalition of local and national organizationsdefending equal marriage rights for same-sex couples in Massachusetts
Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders: New England's leadinglegal rights organization dedicated to ending discrimination based onsexual orientation, HIV status and gender identity and expression
Blog Posts Related to Massachusetts
GLAAD’s Jarret Barrios on getting divorced
In an emotional op-ed piece in the Boston Globe, GLAAD President Jarret Barrios writes about getting divorced from his husband.
Poll: Rhode Island voters support the freedom to marry
The majority of Rhode Island voters support legal recognition of the freedom to marry in the state for the first time.
Opinion on the freedom to marry appears to be shifting at accelerated pace
In April, 2009, when we last took a survey of marriage equality polls, we found that support for it had converged somewhere into the area of 41 or 42 percent of the country. Now, it appears to have risen by several points, and as I reported yesterday, it has become increasingly unclear whether opposition to the freedom to marry still outweighs support for it.
Resources Related to Massachusetts
FAQ on the Federal District Court’s Rulings Overturning DOMA Section 3
FAQ from GLAD on the recent rulings in the Federal District Court of Massachusetts striking down DOMA Section 3.
How to Get Married in Massachusetts
Learn the basics about how to get married in Massachusetts.
Marriage Equality Works for Massachusetts: 5th Anniversary Voter Survey
Voter perceptions of the freedom to marry in Massachusetts 5 years after it was established.



