MassEquality celebrates marriage victory

The magnitude of winning marriage equality in Massachusetts was best summed up at MassEquality's Dec. 5 victory gala by Evan Wolfson, the eternally optimistic head of the national organization Freedom to Marry. Standing onstage in the center of the Cyclorama in the South End, Wolfson praised the work of the army of marriage equality activists that surrounded him, raised an arm in victory and proclaimed, "We are one down, forty-nine to go!"

Taken one way, Wolfson's observation is enough to make even the most zealous marriage activist want to recycle her picket sign and take to bed for a long nap, until some GSA president somewhere finally makes it to the White House. On the other hand, if you live in the Bay State -- the "Beacon of Equality" as it's lovingly referred to by advocates -- it's certainly cause for a swanky victory celebration, and that's exactly what went down at the Cyclorama, as MassEquality paid tribute to the thousands of marriage equality advocates and activists who've pitched over the last four years to secure marriage equality in Massachusetts.

Among the crowd of 800 or so was an impressive array of movers and shakers, from Lt. Gov. Tim Murray to Democratic fundraising powerhouse Steve Grossman and his wife Barbara (a MassEquality board member) and Mass. Bar Association President David White Jr. A handful of national LGBT activists also circulated at the gala along with Wolfson: Matt Foreman of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, Patrick Guerriero of Gill Action Fund and former MassEquality honchos Marty Rouse and Jeremy Pittman, who now run the Human Rights Campaign's national field operation.

A crew of current and former elected officials was also on hand, including House Speaker Sal DiMasi, who made an unscheduled cameo. In brief remarks DiMasi, who played a pivotal role through the three-year battle on Beacon Hill to preserve marriage equality, credited his colleagues for helping to pull out the legislative victory. "I couldn't have done it without the help and support of a lot of the members that I see in this hall right now," said DiMasi. "My members of the House that stood up for equality because it was the absolute right thing to do are here tonight and they took some very difficult votes. They should be applauded."

DiMasi was referring to the likes of state Reps. Geraldo Alicea, Jamie Eldridge, Paul Kujawski, Barbara L'Italien, Paul Loscocco, Liz Malia, Jim O'Day, Angelo Puppolo, Richard Ross, Byron Rushing, Steve "Stat" Smith, Jim Vallee, Brian Wallace and Marty Walsh, all of whom attended the gala. Of those, seven were members of the group of 11 lawmakers who changed from positions of supporting the anti-gay marriage amendment to voting against it between the Jan. 2 and June 14 constitutional conventions, thus ensuring its defeat (Alicea, Loscocco, Kujawski, Puppolo, Ross, Vallee and Wallace).

Other pols in the crowd included openly gay city councilors Joe DeMedeiros of New Bedford and Denise Simmons of Cambridge, state Sens. Ed Augustus, Stan Rosenberg and Dianne Wilkerson, former state senator Jarrett Barrios, who now heads the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Massachusetts Foundation, and former State Rep. Mike Festa, who is now Secretary of Elder Affairs for Gov. Deval Patrick's administration.

The celebration was free from the recent tension that marked MassEquality's strategic planning process, which pitted those board members and LGBT leaders who argued that MassEquality should not expand its mission against those who felt that it was well-positioned after the marriage battle to put its resources to work on LGBT issues besides marriage. (See "MassEquality: Moving Forward" and "Anger Over MassEquality Vote" Nov. 8.) The only hint at the recent discord came when a state lawmaker who was active in the marriage battle quietly confessed to Bay Windows as MassEquality Campaign Director Marc Solomon delivered remarks to the crowd, "I'm trying to interpret the story in between the lines here."

Last month, the MassEquality board voted to expand its mission to partner with Gay and Lesbian Advocates and Defenders (GLAD) to work on achieving marriage equality in other New England states and to advocate in-state on a broader scope of LGBT issues in addition to marriage equality. The organization has also prioritized re-election of every pro-equality legislator in 2008.

Solomon detailed his vision for the new MassEquality during his remarks to the gala-goers. "We are ready to use our resources to assist those organizations and causes that want our help," he said. "What's that mean? It means that our work is not done until the larger cause of full equality is realized for everyone in our community.

"Is our work done when Mitt Romney's drastic cuts to suicide prevention programs for our youth still stand?" he asked the crowd. "Is our work done when victims of domestic violence in our community still need shelter? Is our work done when HIV and AIDS is still the number one health threat to gay men? Is our work done when transgender residents of Massachusetts can be fired from their jobs simply because of who they are? And is our work done when gay and lesbian seniors face [inequities] when they enter a nursing home -- when they're at their most vulnerable? Of course not."

Solomon added that MassEquality would not "be out there willy nilly" advocating on every issue and cause, rather it would implement a process to make decisions regarding their advocacy "thoughtfully and strategically."

MassEquality is also excited about its partnership with GLAD, said Solomon, who explained that his organization would complement GLAD's legal work with grassroots organizing and education around marriage equality. He also made clear that he has high hopes for the collaboration: "This is not some distant mythic quest," he said. "GLAD and we think it's possible that we can achieve marriage equality in every New England state within the next five years."

The speaking portion of the evening concluded fairly quickly - quickly considering the speakers were politicians and activists, that is. And the crowd helped themselves to sweets from dessert stations and $8 Equalitinis - vodka martinis that came in shades of, appropriately enough, red, white or blue.