Gay Marriage Fight in Mass Not Over Yet

Looks like the fight for gay marriage fight in Massachusetts may not be over after all.  Opponents of same-sex marriages are seeking a ballot spot preventing gay and lesbian couples from getting married here if their union wouldn’t be legal in their home state.

Brian Camenker of the group Mass Resistance said Friday that state lawmakers and Gov. Deval Patrick caved in to the ”gay lobby” by approving the repeal of a 1913 statute banning people from other states to wed in Massachusette if it was not legal in their home state.

Patrick, the state’s first black governor and the father of a daughter who recently announced she’s a lesbian, said the 1913 law had racial undertones from a period when interracial marriage was discouraged.

Camenker Said, “The Legislature and the governor changed our marriage laws to please the well-connected minority and force a social experiment into other states that’s very offensive to a majority of the people, at least the way the votes have been going.”  He also stated, “The fact that this happened the way it happened just adds to the sense of sleaziness and underhandedness of the whole process.”

The group fighting the repeal of the law will need about 32,000 signatures to get their issue on the November ballot.

Gay marriage supoorters have stated they are disappointed, but not surprised by the petition.

Marc Solomon of MassEquality stated, “I’ve learned that when it comes to equality for gay and lesbian people, the struggle is never over because there are certain people that are just strongly opposed to any rights for gay people. It’s never shocking; it is disappointing.”

Gay Massachusetts residents have been allowed to legally marry since 2004. Opponents, such as former Gov. Mitt Romney, said the 1913 law prevented Massachusetts from becoming the “Las Vegas of same-sex marriage.” California also permits same-sex marriage and has no restriction on out-of-state couples.