# MA lawmakers reject anti-marriage amendment **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [September 14, 2005, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ma-lawmakers-reject-anti-marriage-amendment/321658 "2005-09-14T20:02:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2005, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ma-lawmakers-reject-anti-marriage-amendment/321658/1 "2005-09-14T20:02:06Z")
[Decisively](http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20050914/ap_on_re_us/gay_marriage). 157-39 against the measure, as compared to 105-92 in favor the last time. Maybe now the fanatics and control freaks who want to demand that over 6,000 marriages performed in the last year be destroyed to suit them will back off. Yeah right. Anyway, good job MA lawmakers. ---
**Author:** ![Sal\_Ammoniac](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8dc957/32.png) [@Sal\_Ammoniac](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sal_Ammoniac)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2005, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ma-lawmakers-reject-anti-marriage-amendment/321658/2 "2005-09-14T20:33:50Z")
Yeah, and allow me to point out how the sky has signally failed to fall. Most non-gay people in Massachusetts are probably like, “We have gay marriage now? Oh, yeah, I forgot.” Whereas if the apocalypse were upon us, or if the institution of marriage had been destroyed, they probably would have noticed by now. ---
**Author:** ![elfbabe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b782af/32.png) [@elfbabe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfbabe)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2005, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ma-lawmakers-reject-anti-marriage-amendment/321658/3 "2005-09-14T22:58:59Z")
> [@Otto](#): > > Maybe now the fanatics and control freaks who want to demand that over 6,000 marriages performed in the last year be destroyed to suit them will back off. Oh, of course they won’t. From your linked article: > [@](#): > > Lawmakers already are preparing for a battle over another proposed amendment that would ban both gay marriage and civil unions. The earliest that initiative could end up on the ballot is 2008. More info from [boston.com](http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2005/09/12/gay_marriage_ban_expected_to_fail/?page=2): > [@](#): > > Backers of the 2008 measure will begin gathering signatures next week in hopes of placing the ballot question before the Legislature by early next year. > > If they can obtain the roughly 66,000 certified signatures, then attract the support of 50 lawmakers in two successive legislative sessions, the measure would appear on the 2008 ballot. Only 50 lawmakers are required because the measure is considered a citizen petition. Still, I doubt it’ll succeed. They may have been able to make themselves look like concerned, moral citizens with legitimate concerns for a while… but the more time that passes with gay marriage as a pleasant, boring reality in Massachusetts, the more those who want to destroy those marriages look like mean-spirited jerks who just want to hurt people. Which is perfect, since that’s precisely what they are. ---
**Author:** ![Jurhael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/cab0a1/32.png) [@Jurhael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jurhael)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2005, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ma-lawmakers-reject-anti-marriage-amendment/321658/4 "2005-09-14T23:22:03Z")
> [@](#): > > They may have been able to make themselves look like concerned, moral citizens with legitimate concerns for a while… but the more time that passes with gay marriage as a pleasant, boring reality in Massachusetts, the more those who want to destroy those marriages look like mean-spirited jerks who just want to hurt people. Which is perfect, since that’s precisely what they are. Well said! I can’t help but feel a bit uneasy though. Then again, I’ve always been paranoid. ---
**Author:** ![Anne\_Neville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Anne\_Neville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anne_Neville)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2005, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ma-lawmakers-reject-anti-marriage-amendment/321658/5 "2005-09-14T23:26:32Z")
> [@Otto](#): > > 157-39 against the measure, as compared to 105-92 in favor the last time. I hope to live to see the day when something like this is rejected unanimously. > [@Sal Ammoniac](#): > > Yeah, and allow me to point out how the sky has signally failed to fall. Most non-gay people in Massachusetts are probably like, “We have gay marriage now? Oh, yeah, I forgot.” Whereas if the apocalypse were upon us, or if the institution of marriage had been destroyed, they probably would have noticed by now. Funny- in [one state where they have a gay marriage ban](http://www.courttv.com/news/gaymarriage/011905_louisiana_ap.html), it seems more like the apocalypse has been on _them_ these days… ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2005, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ma-lawmakers-reject-anti-marriage-amendment/321658/6 "2005-09-15T00:11:03Z")
> [@Otto](#): > > [Decisively](http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20050914/ap_on_re_us/gay_marriage). 157-39 against the measure, as compared to 105-92 in favor the last time. > > Maybe now the fanatics and control freaks who want to demand that over 6,000 marriages performed in the last year be destroyed to suit them will back off. > > Yeah right. > > Anyway, good job MA lawmakers. Good Show, “General Courts of the Commonwealth”! Now, in my real life I have to deal with a lot of Northeastern US legislators, and what I gather is that a weighty factor here was that in the _last_ election, the legislators who had voted **for** GM… were mostly **retained** in office in spite of deliberate targeting. So it was a lot less intimidating this time around… ---
**Author:** ![SkipMagic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skipmagic/32/20706_2.png) [@SkipMagic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SkipMagic)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2005, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ma-lawmakers-reject-anti-marriage-amendment/321658/7 "2005-09-15T01:51:01Z")
I find this to be the most encouraging statement: > [@](#): > > “Gay marriage has begun, and life has not changed for the citizens of the commonwealth, with the exception of those who can now marry,” said state Sen. Brian Lees, a Republican who had been a co-sponsor of the amendment. “This amendment which was an appropriate measure or compromise a year ago, is no longer, I feel, a compromise today.” Turns out people _can_ learn. ---
**Author:** ![gfloyd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/d2c977/32.png) [@gfloyd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gfloyd)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2005, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ma-lawmakers-reject-anti-marriage-amendment/321658/8 "2005-09-15T02:25:59Z")
Wootwoot for my home state doing something right. There is hope.