(Massachusetts) Democrats expected to back gay marriage(in party platform)

[Ian David]

Democrats expected to back gay marriage
Weigh endorsement in Mass. party platform

By Raphael Lewis, Globe Staff | May 4, 2005

The Massachusetts Democratic Party is poised next week to add an endorsement of gay marriage to its platform, despite a nationwide backlash against same-sex marriage that led voters to approve bans in 11 states last fall.

Philip W. Johnston, the state Democratic Party chairman, said yesterday that the party's 3,000 delegates will consider the platform change May 14, three days before the first anniversary of legalized same-sex marriage in Massachusetts. State Democratic parties in Iowa and Colorado added endorsements of same-sex marriage to their platforms last year.

''I don't anticipate any serious debate about it," Johnston said of the party vote that will take place at Paul E. Tsongas Arena in Lowell. ''I think most delegates will support it. In this state, the more people get used to the idea, the more support there is."

<snip>

Among the likely Democratic gubernatorial candidates in 2006, Secretary of State William F. Galvin and former assistant US attorney general Deval Patrick both support the platform change. A spokesman for Attorney General Thomas F. Reilly was noncommittal on the platform change when contacted yesterday, but he reiterated Reilly's support for the legality of same-sex marriage here.

More (longish article):
http://news.google.com/news?q=massachusetts%20democratic%20platform&num=100&hl=en&lr=&c2coff=1&safe=off&sa=N&tab=wn

[ck4829]

1. "despite a nationwide backlash against same-sex marriage"

The Right Thing isn't always popular, and the popular thing isn't always correct.

[blogbear]

2. different strokes for different folks..

[TayTay]

3. I'm voting at that Convention.

I am mid-40's, husband, two kids, middle-class (nothing special). One of the reasons that I wanted to be a delegate was to vote in SUPPORT of Gay Marriage. I believe that rights are rights and there is no reason I should have more options, privileges and freedoms than anyone else in the Commonwealth. It's as simple as that.

[Ian David]

4. You rock! Thanks! Also, here's a couple more paragraphs

<snip>

A Boston Globe poll in March found that 71 percent of Democrats surveyed statewide said they believed same-sex marriage should be allowed, and 24 percent did not. By comparison, 35 percent of Republicans supported same-sex marriage and 59 percent of Republicans opposed it. Independents supported same-sex marriage 53 percent to 35 percent, with 12 percent unsure. Overall, 56 percent of those surveyed backed same-sex marriage, while 37 percent did not and 7 percent weren't sure.

<snip>

'Everybody who spoke spoke for it," Jackson said of the activists, city and ward committee members, and labor union officials who attended the hearings, held all over the state. ''We weren't sure what we were going to hear. There wasn't one place where we heard a negative, but lots of insistence that we do include it."

More:
http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2005/05/04/democrats_expected_to_back_gay_marriage

[TayTay]

5. This is one of those so odd cases

I appreciate your thanks. I am so, so sorry that you even have to render them to me. (This is in no way a cut on you.) I support the rights of all citizens in Massachusetts equally. That to me sounds like saying, "I support Mom, apple pie and good education." Ah, no big deal. I just simply don't understand what the fuss is about. Part of me wants to scream in frustration over the amount of time spent on this basic issue of rights and freedoms for all the Commonwealth's citizens. Part of me wants to weep because this should not be an issue and because of the lies and distortions told about it. Sigh! It's both encouraging and discouraging at the same time.

[Ian David]

6. I might be volunteering for the State Convention myself

I hope I can make it!

[ladeuxiemevoiture]

7. Terrific!

Things like this really inspire me, make me proud to be on the left and motivate me to GOTV for dems! Keep it up... :hi:

[Q3JR4]

8. Um....

Gays and lesbians marrying are going to destroy the country...what...a majority of the population supports it? Well, as I was saying, you can't deny equality to a group of people based purely on the sex of the person they choose to spend their lives with.


It's great that they're backing this, but you'd think it would have happened before the poll results came out.

[Reverend_Smitty]

9. Good for them!

Now if the rest of the damn party would get on board. This is simply the right thing to do and I know history will prove us correct. All of those RW homophobes will be looked upon with scorn in 40 years from now just like the racists in the 1960's are looked upon with scorn today.