Massachusetts now vying to be "the Las Vegas of gay marriage"
Out-of-state same-sex couples will be able to marry in Massachusetts.
The House today voted 118 to 35 to repeal a 1913 state law that prevents gay and lesbian couples from most other states from marrying in Massachusetts.
The measure, which the Senate passed earlier this month, will head to the desk of Governor Deval Patrick, who is expected to sign it into law. The move will clear the way for out-of-state couples to marry in Massachusetts, making it the second state to allow gay and lesbian couples to marry regardless of their place of residence.
The 1913 law wasn't about gays specifically, of course. It said that Massachusetts wouldn't marry people whose marriages would be illegal in their home state -- i.e., interracial couples.
Supporters of the repeal called the law archaic and rooted in racism, urging fellow lawmakers to strip it from the books in the interest of equality. Repeal opponents argued for keeping the law in deference to other states, to prevent legal tangles involving couples who would marry in Massachusetts and want rights in states where gay marriage is outlawed.
"Any marriage has three willing partners: the two willing [spouses] and an approving state," said Representative John A. Lepper, an Attleboro Republican who spoke against the repeal.
::eyebrow::
True, California did get there first with allowing out-of-state same-sex couples to marry, but there's still the chance that a ballot measure to amend their constitution to disallow gay marriage could pass this fall. It was touch-and-go there for awhile, but there's approximately zero chance any such thing will happen in Massachusetts now.
The House today voted 118 to 35 to repeal a 1913 state law that prevents gay and lesbian couples from most other states from marrying in Massachusetts.
The measure, which the Senate passed earlier this month, will head to the desk of Governor Deval Patrick, who is expected to sign it into law. The move will clear the way for out-of-state couples to marry in Massachusetts, making it the second state to allow gay and lesbian couples to marry regardless of their place of residence.
The 1913 law wasn't about gays specifically, of course. It said that Massachusetts wouldn't marry people whose marriages would be illegal in their home state -- i.e., interracial couples.
Supporters of the repeal called the law archaic and rooted in racism, urging fellow lawmakers to strip it from the books in the interest of equality. Repeal opponents argued for keeping the law in deference to other states, to prevent legal tangles involving couples who would marry in Massachusetts and want rights in states where gay marriage is outlawed.
"Any marriage has three willing partners: the two willing [spouses] and an approving state," said Representative John A. Lepper, an Attleboro Republican who spoke against the repeal.
::eyebrow::
True, California did get there first with allowing out-of-state same-sex couples to marry, but there's still the chance that a ballot measure to amend their constitution to disallow gay marriage could pass this fall. It was touch-and-go there for awhile, but there's approximately zero chance any such thing will happen in Massachusetts now.