151 to 45 - GLORY HALLELUJAH!
(Ok, so my Southern protestant roots are showing!) ;-)
151 - 45. I will never forget that tally. It's the outcome of the vote on an anti-gay, anti-marriage constitutional amendment proposal in the Massachusetts' legislature sitting in joint constitutional convention yesterday. Those numbers, unadorned with commentary, popped up in an IM window on my computer at work yesterday afternoon. I had two or three seconds of disbelief as I realized what they meant. WE WON!!! It took several hours for me to digest the reality of it, emotionally.
You have to understand that I saw a legislative head count two weeks ago that showed us down by three to four votes. I knew enough about the legislature to see just how hard it was going to be to get those last few votes we needed. Privately I gave our side a 40% chance of prevailing. N.B. - the proposed amendment needed 50 votes (25% of the joint convention) to go on to the ballot in 2008.
I've been working as an activist on anti-discrimination laws and lgbt relationship recognition issues since the 1980's. I served as the treasurer of both MassEquality and the MassEquality Education Fund, working on both boards from the organizations' inceptions through September of 2005. My partner of almost ten years and I married in 2004 after the Goodridge v. Dept. of Public Health marriage ruling by the Massachusetts' Supreme Judicial Court. This was the most personally and politically difficult project of which I have ever been a part. Those who know me are aware of just how much of my own figurative blood was shed in those trenches over the years. Oy!
Yesterday was a sweet, sweet day. I was born in North Carolina, but the Commonwealth of Massachusetts is the home of my heart! Thank you Massachusetts!!!!!
An amazingly fabulous ad that was part of our campaign:
http://massequality.blip.tv/file/238696/
Videos of yesterday from before, during, and after the vote:
http://takemassacttion.blogspot.com/2007/06/constitutional-convention-june-14-2007_14.html
And some celebration!
http://tools.wikimedia.de/~gmaxwell/jorbis/commonsJOrbisPlayer.php?path=Handel+-+messiah+-+44+hallelujah.ogg&wiki=en
151 - 45. I will never forget that tally. It's the outcome of the vote on an anti-gay, anti-marriage constitutional amendment proposal in the Massachusetts' legislature sitting in joint constitutional convention yesterday. Those numbers, unadorned with commentary, popped up in an IM window on my computer at work yesterday afternoon. I had two or three seconds of disbelief as I realized what they meant. WE WON!!! It took several hours for me to digest the reality of it, emotionally.
You have to understand that I saw a legislative head count two weeks ago that showed us down by three to four votes. I knew enough about the legislature to see just how hard it was going to be to get those last few votes we needed. Privately I gave our side a 40% chance of prevailing. N.B. - the proposed amendment needed 50 votes (25% of the joint convention) to go on to the ballot in 2008.
I've been working as an activist on anti-discrimination laws and lgbt relationship recognition issues since the 1980's. I served as the treasurer of both MassEquality and the MassEquality Education Fund, working on both boards from the organizations' inceptions through September of 2005. My partner of almost ten years and I married in 2004 after the Goodridge v. Dept. of Public Health marriage ruling by the Massachusetts' Supreme Judicial Court. This was the most personally and politically difficult project of which I have ever been a part. Those who know me are aware of just how much of my own figurative blood was shed in those trenches over the years. Oy!
Yesterday was a sweet, sweet day. I was born in North Carolina, but the Commonwealth of Massachusetts is the home of my heart! Thank you Massachusetts!!!!!
An amazingly fabulous ad that was part of our campaign:
http://massequality.blip.tv/file/238696/
Videos of yesterday from before, during, and after the vote:
http://takemassacttion.blogspot.com/2007/06/constitutional-convention-june-14-2007_14.html
And some celebration!
http://tools.wikimedia.de/~gmaxwell/jorbis/commonsJOrbisPlayer.php?path=Handel+-+messiah+-+44+hallelujah.ogg&wiki=en