It Takes One 'Yes'

Gay Marriage in Massachusetts
Massachusetts became the first state to permit gay marriage after the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court ruled by a 4-3 opinion that a ban on same-sex marriage violated the state's constitution. The case in question was Goodridge v. Mass. Department of Public Health 440 Mass. 309.

On November 18, 2003 the Supreme Judicial Court issued its opinion that banning gay marriage arbitrarily infringed on the personal freedoms of the individual, reversing a lower court's decision to uphold the ban. Determining no rational basis for the ban, the majority said:

"[Prohibiting same-sex marriage] barred access to the protections, benefits, and obligations of civil marriage, a person who enters into an intimate, exclusive union with another of the same sex is arbitrarily deprived of membership in one of our community's most rewarding and cherished institutions. That exclusion is incompatible with the constitutional principles of respect for individual autonomy and equality under law."

Massachusetts began issuing marriage licenses on May 17, 2004. In July of 2008 the Massachusetts Legislature passed a bill recognizing same-sex marriages that were legal in other jurisdictions which was signed by Governor Deval Patrick.

Massachusetts should be celebrated for being the first state to say that enough is enough and that love between a man and a man or a woman and a woman is just as real as love between a man and a woman. As with most things, it takes just one 'yes' before others will fall in line. After Massachusetts permitted legal gay marriage, four more states were on board as well. However, as great as it is that there are five states that have 'legalized love' it is still not good enough. Even though it may not be a federal law, more states should be taking action to allow same-sex marriages in their state. Out of all fifty states, only five allow same-sex marriage; a measly ten percent. Gay rights has been an issue for so long now that I am appalled at how little progress America has made when we pride ourselves on equality. More states need to take action!