Marriage equality past, present and future: Five years in Mass. has paved the way elsewhere

Addressing the crowd of marriage equality activists and public officials in the basement of Boston's St. Paul Cathedral May 12 to mark the fifth anniversary of marriage equality in the Bay State, Attorney General Martha Coakley said that the legacy of that victory extends far beyond Massachusetts.

"One of the good pieces of news at a time when we frankly don't have that much good news in our country or our economy is that what Massachusetts has done here by virtue of the wisdom and foresight of our supreme court, but also with the support of all the legislators you see behind me, our governor, our lieutenant governor, and many others in this state to recognize how important it was, we have made it work in Massachusetts, and it's one of the reasons many other states want to get on board with it," said Coakley, a longtime supporter of marriage equality.

Coakley read aloud an excerpt from the recent testimony of her counterpart in Maine, Attorney General Janet Mills, delivered at a recent hearing on a marriage equality bill that passed in the Maine Legislature and was signed by Gov. John Baldacci May 6. Coakley said she reached out to Mills prior to the hearing to offer her advice in crafting her testimony but was rebuffed, in a good way.

"I had called Janet ... to say we've been through this in Massachusetts, I'd be happy to help you with it if you have some issues, legal or otherwise. She said, don't worry, I'm all set," said Coakley. Mills's testimony compared extending marriage rights to same-sex couples with past civil rights gains in Maine, including the extension of titled property rights to women and the granting of full citizenship to Franco-Americans. She described the marriage bill as a "fair thing" that "comports with our Maine tradition of independence, compassion and community values."

"And you know what? She was able to do that, and Maine was able to have the quick action it did because Massachusetts led the way," said Coakley. "And I am hopeful that in five years, or 15 years from now, we will still recognize this anniversary and we will recognize how across this country Americans recognize the right of marriage for all."

The anniversary celebration also included remarks by Lt. Gov. Tim Murray and a statement read by MassEquality Executive Director Scott Gortikov on behalf of Boston Mayor Tom Menino, as well as the cutting of a cake by Marcia Hams and Susan Shepherd, the first same-sex couple to receive a marriage license in Massachusetts.

Gortikov shared results from a MassEquality-commissioned poll by Lake Research Partners which showed that in the five years since same-sex couples began marrying support for marriage equality has increased in Massachusetts. The poll, which surveyed 600 Bay State voters in April, found that 62 percent would oppose an effort to overturn marriage equality through a state constitutional amendment; a number 10 points higher than in a similar survey taken in early 2005.

The poll also found that a majority of Massachusetts residents see equal marriage rights as providing important social benefits. Three-quarters of respondents said they believe that marriage encourages responsibility and commitment and that it is better for society that more couples are choosing to marry since the legalization of same-sex marriage. About two-thirds believe that allowing same-sex couples to marry promotes the common good by encouraging more couples to build families and raise children. Pollsters found that 63 percent of voters believe allowing same-sex couples to marry helps the state live up to its values of equality and fairness.

"I think the interesting thing is people say it's not just good for the couples involved but for society as a whole," said political consultant Doug Hattaway, who worked with MassEquality on the survey.

Matt O'Malley, MassEquality's political director, said the support for marriage equality in Massachusetts has helped the organization as it lobbies in other states. In recent months the state legislatures in Vermont and Maine have passed same-sex marriage bills, and the Connecticut legislature passed a bill codifying the state Supreme Court's marriage equality ruling into law. O'Malley said advocates have been able to reassure nervous lawmakers in those states that their counterparts in similar districts in Massachusetts have taken pro-equality votes and emerged unscathed.

"[In Vermont, Maine and Connecticut] I think a concern was, will I lose my job if I vote for marriage equality? And that goes part and parcel with public opinion. ... What we've done is show that we're able to protect incumbents who voted the right way when challenges resulted, and as elections proceed two years, four years, six years after the fact it's not an issue for most people," said O'Malley. "This is an issue that's so important but won't necessarily end political careers because people inherently feel there should be fairness, and also with everything else going on it's not a top concern."

Cambridge state Sen. Anthony Galluccio (D) said the successful fight for equal marriage rights in Massachusetts serves as a powerful lesson to others waging campaigns for social justice.

"I love to use this process as an example of why it's important to continue a fight even if you're in the minority on a civil rights issue," said Galluccio. "I actually reference this battle a lot when I work on immigrant rights issues. When you're in the minority and you're way ahead on an issue people say you're wrong and you're backwards and you're just spotting everybody and putting everyone in a difficult position. And then after you execute it and people recognize that it's right they say you were a pioneer. ... It's a great example of how something that looks really controversial, once it's put into place, how much it becomes part of the fabric of life."