A second important aspect of hearings on the proposed amendment would be to invite people from other states to testify about the presumed equality of civil unions. As we now know from New Jersey, Connecticut, and Vermont, Civil Unions are second-class status. Assuming that, should the amendment pass, gay couples would be allowed to become civil unionized, it would be very important for our legislature to understand the consequences of formalizing an inferior status for same-sex couples.
A third important agenda item for hearings would be to invite the people from Fair Wisconsin and other organizations to talk to our legislators about the impact of the campaign to constitutionalize discrimination. However awful their experiences, the anti-marriage campaign in Massachusetts would be much worse. As the only state with equal marriage rights, we have a very large target on our backs, and the anti-equality people will spend lots and work hard to end equal marriage here.
Finally, hearings in Massachusetts could create an important record of our three years of equal marriage rights. That record could be helpful, if not pivotal, in court challenges to discrimination in other states.
I know there are several legislators and their staff who read BMG. How about it? Are there reasons why we shouldn’t tell the story of what’s happened over the last three years?
I do believe that we will see this dialog happen on June 14th at the State House, just before the vote. I say we have a vote on this that very day. It is never justifiable to vote away your fellow citizen’s rights. The only appropriate course of action now that we have come this far is to address this issue head on, then move on.
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I’m tired of fighting for rights that should be inalienable. It is time for moderate middle America to shake off its slumber, and become patriots who are active in their civil duties. We get the government we deserve via our participation or inaction. During the Revolution our ancestors were outnumbered, but not outmatched. Their spirit and courage to stand up in defiance for what they believed in saw them through, and brought us a better future. If we cannot convince the last few legislators to vote against the Discrimination Amendment, then let the clamour this vote creates fuel our cause for us.
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Maybe one of the many pro-equality legislators could show the great video MassEquality has put together as part of their speech?
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We need some public hearings…
The best public hearing would be a statewide vote to settle this issue once and for all.
…a hearing. If this vote never happens it will be the best thing for the state and the country.
and “public hearing” != “democratic vote”
A legislative hearing would also be a good way to document facts that would be relevent to any court challenges to discrimination right here in Massachusetts, especially should this referendum qualify and pass.
I have attended every one of them. I have testified at every one of them.
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A brief recap…fraud testimony, follow the money to Focus on the Family testimony, every minority group represented to speak for our rights, every imagineable social services and advocacy group testified on our behalf, historical facts quoted, celebrities, clergy, children of lesbian moms, children of gay dads, children of single gays, grandparents of gays, parents of gays, friends of LGBT, LGBT students, friends of LGBT students, two lesbian moms pushing baby carriages together with a straight friend who is a mom pushing her baby carriage, MassEquality, Arling Isaacson, KnowThyNeighbor, GLAD, the ACLU, BAGLY, PFLAG all testify, married same-sex couples, married straight couples, those who don’t want to get married but understand, we even saw a gay man get on his knees and recap his porposal to his now husband (crying the entire time), pro-Equality Senators and Reps testified, the most powerful business leaders testified on our behalf…
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Shall I go on???? I hate to be cynical, BUT it actually causes me physical pain to continue to attend these hearings.
…and I agree that they are draining and emotional for all concerned on both sides.
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That said, in the interests of leaving no stone unturned, perhaps there SHOULD be one last hearing – or forever, we’ll hear nothing but (no matter WHO wins the vote), “If ONLY the rat bastards had let us testify! If ONLY we had a CHANCE to get our point across…”
PP,
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This hearing would be about same sex marriage. Everything has been said that can already be said.
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Hearings are important, like so many aspects of our government, they give the “impression” of voter participation to make change. Most of the SSM hearings have been well orchestrated by the lobbies on both sides and really don’t leave much for the public to do.
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What is really sad, is seeing so many leges NOT sit on the committee when they should be or just breeze in for one minute and breeze back out.
I agree that sitting through hearings can be as exciting as watching paint dry, but in this case, the benefits outweigh the costs. What’s different now is that we’re not talking any more about hypothetical gay marriage and its impact in Massachusetts. Now we’re giving SSM a reality check so that legislators can make an informed decision. And it’s not over a few months, but over 3 years, with nearly 10,000 married couples.
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I’m confident that the state’s experience with SSM will put the lie to all the predictions of falling sky. The arguments of the anti-marriage people will be exposed as discomfort with change and/or prejudice. Legislators on the fence will see how important equal marriage has been to the couples, their friends and families. Perhaps a few more will come to understand that a campaign against equality will be ugly, hurtful, and demeaning to thousands of their constituents.
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There’s nothing like a little “reality-based” decision-making.
Again,
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I appreciate your idealism, really I do. But everything at this point has been tried except The Right Reverend Peter J. Gomes announcing that God lifted him up to the heavens and told him to directly deliver a message from God Himself to the Legislature. And I am sure that if Peter did get a message from God, someone would try to control it.
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All kidding aside, I would definitely see the benefit of a Hearing or a ConCon or a Lobby Day in which all the LGBT organizations called for as many LGBT and supporters of equality to show up and demand equal rights. Power in numbers and message. These calculated, controlled, manipulated “Press Events” byt the gay lobby (MassEquality, MGLPC etc) have got to stop.
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The days of quiet strategies, safe decisions, self promotion and a “controlled” LGBT are over!