Mary Bonauto, lead counsel in the Massachusetts case that won same-sex couples the right to wed, spoke in November at a WBUR Kennedy Library Forum about marriage equality. When asked about the potential impact of the demonstrations that have sprung up since the election, she said: Demonstrations are important. They make people feel good also, […]
Today marks the fifth anniversary of marriage equality in Massachusetts, and I’m happy to report no locusts have been spotted in the Bay State. This bodes well for GLAD’s plan to have all six New England states enact marriage equality by 2012. Helen and I are also celebrating our Massaversary today. We’ve been together for
Gay and Lesbian Advocates and Defenders (GLAD), the New England LGBT legal organization, is celebrating its 30th anniversary with a series of podcasts on their landmark cases. The case for October tells the story of Don Babets and David Jean, a gay couple who began fostering two brothers in 1985 through the state’s foster care
(Originally published with slight variation in Bay Windows, October 16, 2008. Photo: Marilyn Humphries.) Saving Marriage, a documentary about the fight for marriage equality in Massachusetts, will have its Boston theatrical premiere Oct. 17 at the Landmark Kendall Square. The film’s Boston-based editor, Paula Gauthier, couldn’t be happier. “It’s a gift back for the people
After refusing to rule on a case involving a sperm donor who claimed parental rights, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a second rejection this week that means good news for LGBT families.
I don’t often post about purely local events, but since this one has ties to national history, here goes: Plimoth Plantation in Massachusetts, the site of the first Thanksgiving, will host “Out at Plimoth Plantation” on September 13. The event will “offer a glimpse into the lives of 17th century LGBT pilgrims and Native Americans,”
President Bush reauthorized the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), which allocates $48 billion over the next five years to treat people living with HIV and fund prevention programs in poorer countries for men who have sex with men. The reauthorization also contains changes that should remove legal roadblocks for HIV-positive immigrants wishing to
It’s official. Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick has signed a repeal of the 1913 law prohibiting out-of-state couples from marrying in the state if their home states forbid the unions. At the same time, he signed the MassHealth Equality bill, granting equal benefits to married same-sex and opposite-sex couples through MassHealth, the state’s Medicaid program. MassHealth,
Out-of-state same-sex couples could marry in Massachusetts later today. Lawmakers have attached an emergency preamble to the bill lifting marriage restrictions on out-of-state couples, stating that it will take effect as soon as the governor signs it, rather than after the usual 90 days. The bill could go to the governor today, according to the
The Massachusetts House just voted to repeal the 1913 law that prevented most out-of-state same-sex couples from marrying in the Bay State. The bill now goes to Governor Deval Patrick, who has said he will sign it. Massachusetts was, of course, the first state to legalize marriage for same-sex couples, although California was the first
