Human Rights Campaign President Joe Solmonese made the following statement on January 2 on the vote of the Massachusetts Legislature to move an amendment banning marriage equality a step closer to the 2008 state ballot. The measure must be approved by a second constitutional convention before landing on the state ballot.
Said Solmonese:
"Today's vote by the Massachusetts Legislature threatens to turn the nation's oldest constitution into an instrument of discrimination. In the nearly three years since same-sex couples have been allowed to legally marry in Massachusetts, voters have repeatedly made it clear that it's time to move on to other, more pressing issues.
"We believe the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court got it exactly right and putting people's fundamental basic rights up for a public vote is wrong. The opponents of marriage equality in Massachusetts have led an all-out assault on state legislators, many of whom nonetheless stood tall and voted today for equality.
"There is a shifting tide in Massachusetts which is demonstrated in the inauguration tomorrow of a pro-equality governor, Deval Patrick. At the Human Rights Campaign, we will continue to work with our state partners to ensure that this discriminatory ballot measure is defeated and never makes it to a public ballot box."
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