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 Both houses of the state legislature overwhelmingly voted in favor of the law which repealed a discriminatory law from 1913 that had blocked such marriages. "The 1913 law is outdated and discriminatory; repealing it is the right thing to do," Patrick said in a statement.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