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 Both houses of the state legislature overwhelmingly voted in favor of the law which repealed a discriminatory law from 1913 that had blocked such marriages. "The 1913 law is outdated and discriminatory; repealing it is the right thing to do," Patrick said in a statement.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
Margaret Marshall, author of Mass. marriage equality decision, to retire
Chief Justice Margaret H. Marshall, who led the state's highest court as it reshaped the Western legal world with its historic ruling approving the freedom to marry in Massachusetts, announced Wednesday morning that she would retire.
A summer for gay rights
Richard Socarides writes about the federal Proposition 8 trial, the rulings in two cases against DOMA and other advancements that have been made this year toward LGBT equality.
Hey, America, stop changing the marriage equality goalposts
Marriage equality has seen more ups and downs than a soccer game, because America's right wing keeps changing the goalposts.
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.



