Comments on: Massachusetts to Allow Nonresident Gay Marriages!

By: Elliot

Elliot — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 05:33:02 +0000

Way to go, Mass!

I’m as stoked as everybody else, but I was a little turned off by the NYT article’s emphasis on the economic benefits. i know it’s a good argument that we should use, and one that is undoubtedly playing a part. But it feels like bad strategy to me: if good policies only get put in place because of perceived benefits, what happens if the benefits don’t materialize? Or in places that don’t have that same potential for an economic boost from it? And I guess I’m just naive enough to want to believe that people do the right things because they’re the right things.

By: rt

rt — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 23:53:06 +0000

man, i love it when my state finally does the right thing. go MA!

and yeah, sailorman, – CHA-CHING, BABY! slow economy what? welcome to the wedding state!

By: Toast

Toast — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 22:22:50 +0000

Once again, the land of my birth steps up to the plate and acquits itself admirably. Way to go, Bay State.

By: miwome

miwome — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 21:36:00 +0000

Oh, with the new law where NY respects gay marriages from other states, you just KNOW every couple is gonna drive up to Boston, get married, and drive straight back for their reception. AWESOME.

The NYT actually had a front page piece attributing this partly to Massachusetts’ desire for some nice wedding industry revenues. Fine with me as long as it gets done.

By: Thomas

Thomas — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 21:33:58 +0000

Jesurgislac, good. I hope they go to sleep tonight knowing that the most populous state on each ocean coast effectively has full legal marriage rights available to all of their citizens regardless of sexual orientation. I hope they know that, long though the battle may be, they are inexorably losing out to full legal and social equality; that they lost sodomy laws, that they are losing discrimination in jobs and housing company by company and city by city, and that the tide has turned on marriage.

By: Jesurgislac

Jesurgislac — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 19:57:24 +0000

Thomas, I don’t think the pro-DOMA ‘phobes have missed the importance of this.

By: sailorman

sailorman — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 19:47:14 +0000

ca-ching!!

Proud To Be A Resident.

hey, that would make a good bum[er sticker!

By: Thomas

Thomas — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 18:21:28 +0000

The importance of this has been largely missed. The Times noted it, but didn’t emphasize it. This is effectively marriage equality in New York through the back door. New York recently recognized same sex marriages from other states, though we won’t issue the license here. California will marry out-of-state couples, but that’s a long way off. Massacussets, which is nearby, would not marry NY couples because NY would not solemnize the union. But with this change, a NY couple can marry in Mass and have the reception here, or marry and party there though they live here, and have full legal married status in NY. Since Massachussets is close, even folks of limited means may be able to get themselves to Mass for a wedding and get the legal protections thereof here.

By: Hot Tramp

Hot Tramp — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 18:03:02 +0000

I would think that even Mass’s gay-haters would applaud this decision. Now, same-sex couples won’t have to move to Massachusetts to get married — they can just visit and then go the hell home.

Also, you know who needs to be next? VEGAS.