The Boston Globe reports that Mass. Senate President Travaglini gave a "beautiful and moving toast" at the wedding of State Sen. Jarrett Barrios and political consultant Doug Hattaway, including a reference to Barrios, Hattaway, and their two sons as "a true family."
This has the anti-gay marriage crowd worried. Ex-House Speaker Tom Finneran is gone, and his replacement, Sal DiMasi, spoke powerfully in favor of gay marriage in the last constitutional convention. Trav sponsored the "compromise" amendment that would ban gay marriage and create civil unions, but if his words at Barrios’s wedding were from the heart, he may no longer be interested in that position. And if no one in the legislative leadership is pushing the amendment, its chances of making it to a vote in 2006 suddenly look pretty shaky.
His Excellency the Governor has taken the position that a same-sex marriage is not, in Trav’s words, "a true family," but instead represents a grave threat to society as we know it. Well, it’s still early, but society in Massachusetts has not shown any visible signs of decline since same-sex marriages became legal on May 17. We’re waiting….
Same sex couples have been a part of society for a long time. Longer than any traditionalists would want to admit.One of my mother’s dearest friends has lived with her partner for over 50 years. Lola joined the US Army in the 40’s where she met Alice. They lived together in Washington where Lola worked for HEW. They now reside in tidewater Virginia. One of my earliest memories is of the stuffed dog that Lola gave me. She was always someone I could call and talk to when my traditional parents were screaming at each other. Nobody talked about Lola and Alice as a “lesbian couple.”After all, this was southeastern Virginia.But, here was a couple who were devoted to each other and who worked, paid taxes, served in the military, and were part of the fabric of our society.Would they not deserve the benefiets and respect which heterosexual married couples enjoy?