DiMasi's departure a blow to LGBT community

Activists, however, are pleased with DeLeo

The LGBT community lost one of its most powerful allies on Beacon Hill this week, as House Speaker Sal DiMasi bid farewell to his colleagues after a 30-year career in the legislature on Jan. 27. But despite the loss, advocates were heartened by the election the following day of House Ways and Means Chair Robert DeLeo to succeed DiMasi.

"The speaker was a hero to our community," said MassEquality Executive Director Marc Solomon. "His ascendancy happened at the perfect, most critical time and he led us through this marriage fight. Then along came an amazing governor and senate president, but when we were dealing with Mitt Romney and Bob Travaglini, there was the speaker who was doing everything ... within his power to help our community out."

Solomon and MassEquality Political Director Matt O'Malley were among those who crowded into the House gallery to hear DiMasi's farewell speech. Though the North End Democrat did not mention his decades of support for LGBT rights among his accomplishments during his address, he listed the preservation of same-sex marriage rights among the "legacy of triumphs" in the legislature - along with healthcare reform, energy reform and the rejection of casino gambling - during his tenure in a Jan. 25 letter notifying colleagues of his resignation. "Together we made an historic decision to advance civil rights by protecting marriage equality," DiMasi wrote.

Indeed, DiMasi took a strong stand on marriage equality early in the legislative debates on the issue. In the constitutional conventions of 2004, DiMasi, then the House majority leader, bucked the socially conservative speaker Tom Finneran, an ardent opponent of LGBT rights, and voted against several different anti-gay marriage amendments, including one put forth by Finneran. "For the top lieutenant to go against the speaker of the house, it was highly unusual and a very gutsy thing to do," said Arline Isaacson, co-chair of the Mass. Gay and Lesbian Political Caucus. "It showed a streak of leadership and courage that really was profound."

When DiMasi succeeded Finneran as speaker in 2005, LGBT advocates finally gained an ally who was not afraid to wield his considerable influence in support of their cause, as evidenced by the failure in September of that year of the Travaglini-Lees amendment to ban same-sex marriage, which had the backing of Gov. Mitt Romney and Senate President Robert Travaglini. In November 2006 he stepped up to the plate yet again, working long hours to persuade enough of his members to take a controversial vote to recess a constitutional convention and effectively kill another anti-gay amendment, only to see Travaglini revive the issue on the last day of the legislative session in January 2007, when the amendment passed by a narrow margin. In the run-up to the June 2007 constitutional convention, DiMasi had two new allies in Gov. Deval Patrick and Senate President Therese Murray, and the trio lobbied their colleagues aggressively to ultimately defeat the amendment.

Last July, DiMasi was instrumental in persuading some of his more conservative members to brave a vote to repeal the 1913 law that prevented most nonresident same-sex couples from marrying in the Massachusetts. According to Solomon, some House members didn't want the issue to get to the floor because they didn't want to have to vote against it, yet they didn't want to risk voting in favor of the repeal in an election year. Solomon recalled DiMasi telling him, "Marc, you're giving me a lot of heartburn on this one." Noticing the concern on Solomon's face, DiMasi added, "Ah, don't worry. We'll take care of it for ya."

DiMasi's advocacy on the marriage issue was the final piece of a career-spanning record of support for LGBT rights. Isaacson recalled that DiMasi needed little convincing to become a sponsor of the gay rights bill back when she began lobbying it in 1983. "He not only sponsored that bill when it was very controversial, he worked really hard for it," said Isaacson.

"His active support for our community dates back to the early 80s.," she also said. "He was way ahead of his time in supporting equality for GLBT people."

DiMasi, who did not respond to an interview request made through his spokesman David Guarino, resigned abruptly just three weeks after being re-elected to a third term as speaker. His departure came amid heightened scrutiny of his political dealings.

His close friend and former accountant Richard Vitale was indicted in December, accused by Attorney General Martha Coakley of using his relationship with DiMasi to improperly push for legislation to benefit the Mass. Association of Ticket Brokers, one of Vitale's clients. DiMasi is also alleged to have had a hand in the improper awarding of a $13 million state contract to the software company Cognos ULC. He has not been charged with any illegal activity.

Despite the ethical cloud under which he left, advocates interviewed for this story said it does not detract from his accomplishments on LGBT civil rights.

"When you look at how people work in the world, I don't think you can take anything away from the work that he's done," said openly gay state Rep. Liz Malia. "This is all assumptions that have been made and all the speculation - none of this has gone through any process at all. I don't see how you cannot see what he's been able to do not just on LGBT issues but also around healthcare and some of the energy policy. ... He's been a strong good leader."

DeLeo's election as speaker on Jan. 28 brought to a close a contentious contest for the post that pitted the Winthrop Democrat against House Majority Leader John Rogers of Norwood. While DeLeo, who was elected to the House in 1991 and has served as Ways and Means chair since 2005, does not have a lengthy history of support for LGBT rights, advocates are happy with his ascension. DeLeo was a latecomer to marriage equality, having voted in favor of anti-gay amendments in 2004 and 2005. In 2006, however, he voted for the controversial recess and subsequently supported marriage equality in the two votes in 2007. He also voted in favor of the 1913 repeal last July and this year became a cosponsor of the transgender rights bill filed by openly gay state Rep. Carl Sciortino.

Though a recent Boston Globe article characterized him as politically conservative, DeLeo described himself during a Jan. 27 State House media availability as "more of a moderate than a conservative." Advocates who spoke for this story all credited DeLeo with being an attentive and engaged listener who is interested in making informed decisions based on facts rather than ideology. DeLeo did not respond to interview requests made through his spokesman Seth Gitell.

"I think that DeLeo is wise and he's patient and he listens," said Malia, who supported DeLeo's bid for speaker. "He's been very open and interested as I've gone to him over the last four years with my budget requests. He doesn't do things pro-forma, he sits and he listens and he asks questions. I find that to be very reassuring."

That willingness to listen led DeLeo to meet with a group of students from the Winthrop High School Gay/Straight Alliance during budget negotiations last year, as advocates sought to secure increased funding for LGBT youth programs. According to both Solomon and Somerville Rep. Carl Sciortino, the experience was an eye-opener for the legislator. "He was very personally moved by that afternoon with the students," Sciortino recalled, noting that DeLeo approached him after the meeting to discuss what he had heard. LGBT youth programs received a funding boost in last year's budget.

Like Malia, Sciortino also supported DeLeo's speaker candidacy, as did the remaining openly gay state representatives, Sarah Peake, Cheryl Coakley-Rivera and Kate Hogan. Though there was no coordinated effort among them to do so, Sciortino said, "I think it's indicative of the kind of leader he'll be for our community, the kind of friend he'll be for our community."

Sciortino decided to get behind DeLeo in 2007, approaching the aspiring speaker and offering his support unsolicited. Though DeLeo and Rogers have similar track records on LGBT rights -- with one significant difference being Rogers' sponsorship of DOMA legislation back in the late '90s -- Sciortino said he chose DeLeo because he respects him both as a colleague and a human being.

"I think he's in this for the right reasons; I think he's a very genuine, good person," Sciortino explained. "And both he and Rep. Rogers have come from more conservative places and have become over time more progressive on the issues, particularly on LGBT rights. Bob DeLeo is now a cosponsor of the trans bill. He wasn't leading the charge against our community by any stretch of the imagination years ago.

"It's taken him time to get where he is now," Sciortino added, "but he's there and I think he'll be a strong ally."