Mass. High Court Rules for Gay Marriage

Associated Press Writer ^ | Wed, Feb 04, 2004 | JENNIFER PETER

[presidio9]

BOSTON - The Massachusetts high court ruled Tuesday that only full, equal marriage rights for gay couples — rather than civil unions — would meet the edict of its November decision, erasing any doubts that the nation's first same-sex marriages would take place in the state beginning in mid-May.

AP Photo Slideshow: Same-Sex Marriage Issues

The court issued the opinion in response to a request from the state Senate about whether Vermont-style civil unions, which conveyed the benefits — but not the title of marriage — would meet constitutional muster.

The much-anticipated opinion sets the stage for next Wednesday's Constitutional Convention, where the Legislature will consider an amendment that would legally define marriage as a union between one man and one woman. Without the opinion, Senate President Robert Travaglini had said the vote would be delayed.

The Supreme Judicial Court ruled in November that same-sex couples have a constitutional right to marry, and gave the Legislature six months to change state laws to make it happen.

But almost immediately, the vague wording of the ruling left lawmakers — and advocates on both side of the issue — uncertain if Vermont-style civil unions would satisfy the court's decision.

The state Senate asked for more guidance from the court and sought the advisory opinion, which was made public Wednesday morning when it was read into the Senate record.

[Modernman]

Curious -- as a mental health professional, I would be interested in how one "treats" homosexuality successfully.

I would imagine, for many of these posters, it would be similar to how the Taliban "treated" homosexuality.

[concerned about politics]

So why marry if their fetish requires multable anuses to fufill their lusts? Why not stick to civl unions? That way they can just trade child victims and no one would notice? Why treat them as normal when they're not?

[69ConvertibleFirebird]

You're suggesting that encouraging marriage encourages sex? Been married lately?

This is too silly to respond to and has nothing to do with the topic as well.

You didn't like it when I didn't respond to the rest of your silliness yet when I ask, you don't show any statistics that back up your claim that homosexuals stay in long term one-on-one relationships. Of course you can't because you know that they don't. Why would they? They have no families to raise. They have no God that tells them to stay committed (or if they have a God it is not Jesus or the Jewish God because homosexuality is a sin to those Gods.).

Back to your homosexual activism now. I'm done.

[Kahonek]

"I'm not sure."

An honest answer... I'm not either.

"When they kept them in the insane asylums, we didn't have the child molestations or diseases we have today."

Unfortunately, we did still have child molestations and sexually transmitted diseases -- lots of sexually transmitted diseases.

"Now that they're out, I'm not sure what America can do unless they're readmitted for observation."

Yeah, but that's not exactly "treating" them...

[af_vet_1981]

The Supreme Judicial Court ruled in November that same-sex couples have a constitutional right to marry, and gave the Legislature six months to change state laws to make it happen.

They should impeach and remove the judges from this court so that they can never legislate from a court again.

[Modernman]

So why marry if their fetish requires multable anuses to fufill their lusts?

Wow. You have a strange obsession with gay anal sex.

If no homosexuals want to marry, then this whole discussion is moot. If homosexuals do want to marry, they can't do any more damage to the institution of marriage than we heterosexuals have managed to do.

[Kahonek]

"So why marry if their fetish requires multable anuses to fufill their lusts?"

Those were your words, not mine.

"Why not stick to civl unions?"

If that were the case, why bother with civil unions?

"That way they can just trade child victims and no one would notice?"

Uhhh... It doesn't take civil unions or marriage to molest children. I don't know where that even came from...

"Why treat them as normal when they're not?"

It's okay, really... You don't have to treat anyone as normal. I'm sure few people treat you that way...

[eastsider]

Curious -- as a mental health professional, I would be interested in how one "treats" homosexuality successfully.

The article Prominent Psychiatrist Announces New Study Results: "Some Gays Can Change" might provide a lead.

[Kahonek]

"This is too silly to respond to and has nothing to do with the topic as well."

Actually, it is very relevant. You suggest that by promoting marriage, one promotes sex. I am suggesting that this is ludicrous.

"you don't show any statistics that back up your claim that homosexuals stay in long term one-on-one relationships"

That may be because I never made that claim. Look really hard for it. In fact, if you look closely enough, you will probably find a direct assertion that "we don't have any idea how long gay marriages would last in Mass."

[onyx]

GWB will sign or do anything his office allows to preserve the sanctity of marriage between one man and one woman. He is a man of God and of his word. You can count on that.

[Kahonek]

Thanks for the tip. I have actually read this study thoroughly, but I'm afraid it doesn't really answer my question. It basically states that when you go to groups who claim to cure gays and ask them for their most motivated and successful cases, some of the people they produce will say (over the phone) that they had at least some change in their sexual attraction. They will usually attribute this to God's work in their lives.

There are a lot of problems in this study from a scientific perspective, but even if you accept the report of this minority at face value, it suggests a role for God (and perhaps clergy), but not really for the mental health professional. The original poster suggested that homosexuality be "treated," like a "mental illness." I was wondering what treatment he had in mind.

[Kahonek]

Thanks for the tip. I have actually read this study thoroughly, but I'm afraid it doesn't really answer my question. It basically states that when you go to groups who claim to cure gays and ask them for their most motivated and successful cases, some of the people they produce will say (over the phone) that they had at least some change in their sexual attraction. They will usually attribute this to God's work in their lives.

There are a lot of problems in this study from a scientific perspective, but even if you accept the report of this minority at face value, it suggests a role for God (and perhaps clergy), but not really for the mental health professional. The original poster suggested that homosexuality be "treated," like a "mental illness." I was wondering what treatment he had in mind.

[w1andsodidwe]

Thank-you for not answering my question.

[Nowhere Man]

BOHICA - "Bend Over Here It Comes Again" literally. All I can say is in a Bug's Bunny voice to the Mass Supreme Court, "whadda bunch of maroons!" B-P

[I_love_weather]

Well according to some of you people the majority should always rule.

I guess if the majority of people said Christians should not be able to vote...then well Christians wouldn't be able to vote.

I guess if the majority of people said blacks should not be able to vote...well then blacks shouldn't be able to vote.

Some of you people don't even think before you give your arguments.

[eastsider]

Based on my experience with relatives suffering from mental illness (schizo-affective disorder; manic depression), my unprofessional opinion is that mental illness is an inappropriate classification for same-sex attraction.

What I took from Dr. Spitzer's remarks is that one's personal motivation is key to any reparative therapy. To me, that puts SSA in the category of a neurosis which responds to personal intent, not a psychosis, which responds to meds. JMO.

[puroresu]

Do you not think that the majority of the people should have a say before one of their multi-thousand year old institutions is altered by four appointed officials, with the subsequent societal ramifications that would entail?