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Fifth Day of Protests, July 29th |
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by Matthew Williams, plaid_baboon (nospam) hotmail.com |
 To close the protests against the DNC, the police decided to attack the protesters. Tension mounted all day, starting with the 100-person Critical Mass bike ride at 8:30 am, which was trailed by a dozen bike cops. During the course of the day, there were also a number of independent actions by affinity groups. Throughout the day, activists reported being tailed by undercover police, a helicopter hovered above the Convergence Center, and several activists were temporarily detained and searched by the police. A permitted No Blood for Oil March, of 100-150 people, left Copley Square at 1:00, swelling to 500 as they marched towards the Fleet Center, site of the DNC. Upon arriving at Government Center, near the Fleet Center, a stand off with the police ensued, with the police eventually attacking protesters (on the excuse of a non-existent Molotov cocktail), arresting three people and sending at least one protester to the hospital. The protesters were released after six hours of jail solidarity work. Then final protest of the day was a queer kiss-in at 6:30. |
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30 Jul 2004
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Filed under: News / DNC : GLBT/Queer : Human Rights |
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Gay Rights Protesters Will Picket "Unity 2004" Reception for DNC Delegates |
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by DontAmend.com, ATDontAmend (nospam) aol.com |
 DontAmend.com has been outraged that national gay rights organizations have demanded nothing around equal marriage rights from the Democrats. "Rather than forthrightly saying that the civil rights of millions of Americans should be defended, most Democratic politicians have treated our equal marriage rights as at best, an unfortunate 'diversion' in their election campaigns," said Andy Thayer, National Action Coordinator for DontAmend.com. In addition to Kerry, other leading Democrats in Massachusetts are in the forefront of a move which could once again ban gay marriage there as early as 2006. |
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26 Jul 2004
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Filed under: News / DNC : GLBT/Queer |
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Defend Marriage Equality - Now! |
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by Steve Trussell, DefendEqualMarriage(at)yahoo.com |
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The need to fight for equal marriage rights is now more important than ever. With anti-equality forces increasingly organized and vocal, supporters of gay marriage need to continue the struggle for justice by coming out in full force on May 17. After the two stunning victories won by GLAD in the SJC, gay marriage activists and supporters suffered our first defeat on March 29th. Many activists have already turned their sights to the November elections. That is premature. It takes for granted the outcome of what might be our most critical fight beginning to unfold—May 17th. The national and local leadership of the Democratic Party opposes gay marriage and Republican Governor Romney is determined to defy the SJC and prevent Massachusetts from issuing the first-ever legal same-sex marriage licenses in the US that day. We must be determined to get them and he must see that we are not willing to wait. Dr. Martin Luther King knew that lobbying and elections alone could not create that kind of social force. He argued that direct-action strategies were necessary to “create the kind of tension in society that will help men rise from the dark depths of prejudice and racism to the majestic heights of understanding and brotherhood.” |
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Massachusetts Constitutional Convention Moves Forward Amendment to Ban Gay Marriage but Create Civil Unions |
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by Jeffrey Langstraat, langstra (nospam) yahoo.com |
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During the March 29 Constiutional Convention, the Massachusetts General Court moved forward a constitutional amendment barring same-sex marriage and establishing civil unions. As usual, there was much wrangling and maneuvering. There were protesters on both sides of the issue, although the crowds were much, much smaller today than in the earlier sessions, and we far outnumbered our opponents. The result isn't as we were hoping. However, there's some room for celebration as well. We lost one battle; the overall struggle continues. The ConCon must vote for the amendment again next year and then it has be approded bya popular vote in 2006. We were able to build support throughout the ConCon. And May 17, 2004: gay folks will get married in Massachusetts. The stuff that happened today doesn't affect that fact. |
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01 Apr 2004
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Filed under: News / GLBT/Queer |
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Civil Unions today, Gay Marriage March 29th? |
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by S. Eppler, SEppler (nospam) MassArt.edu |
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On Thursday March 11th, 2003, the State of Massachusetts House and Senate reconvened a Constitutional Convention to debate the issue of gay marriage. During the March 11th session, three votes were made regarding three different bills on this topic. The Amendment options for the legislature to consider were: one that enabled civil unions as an alternative to gay marriage, one that defined marriage as a heterosexual unions that promotes “the stability and welfare of society”, and one that enabled civil unions while defining marriage as an institution between man and woman. |
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12 Mar 2004
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Filed under: News / GLBT/Queer |
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The Massachusetts Constitution Has Not Been Amended to Ban Gay Marriage--For Now |
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by Jeffrey Langstraat, langstra (nospam) yahoo.com |
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The Constitutional Convention is now in recess until Thursday, March 11. Following two days of wrangling over multiple amendments and fillibustering by opponents of any amendment (the supporters of gay marriage), no amendment has been voted out of the ConCon to amend the Constitution--yet. On the first day of the ConCon, the crowds on the street were huge--competing sides shouting, holding signs, arguing past each other, and the like. On the second day, the people who were there--about 500 at its peak--were overwhelmingly people who supported the rights of same-sex couples to marry. I don't think I saw a group of same-sex marriage opponents larger than 5 people all day Thursday. The fight isn't over. The ConCon will resume on March 11. My experience in legislative work, indeed in any form of queer work, says we're going to lose. I still think that some kind of amendment restricting marriage to only opposite-sex couples will pass. I'm also fairly confident, though, that when (if) this amendment goes to the citizens of MA, they will reject it. The polling data I've seen so far has shown support for same-sex marriage itself as slightly ahead of not allowing it. Opposition to amending the Constitution is at around 60%. |
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13 Feb 2004
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Filed under: News / GLBT/Queer |
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Separate but Equal isn't Equal: MA Constitutional Amendment? |
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by S. Eppler, SEppler (nospam) MassArt.edu |
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On Tuesday November 18, 2003, the Massachusetts Supreme Court ruled that equal protection provisions of the Massachusetts State Constitution require that same-sex couples be permitted to marry. In short, gay marriage was found legal under Massachusetts Constitutional law. The immediate response to this historic decision included celebration and enthusiasm by civil liberties advocates, as well as dismayed reactionism from conservatives. On Wednesday, February 11th, an anti-"Gay Marriage Constitutional Amendment" will be voted on by a joint session of the Massachusetts Senate and House of Representatives. Basic human rights and equality are at stake, and this historic decision may spell the future for gay rights in Massachusetts... |
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09 Feb 2004
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Filed under: News / GLBT/Queer |
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