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Legislature Denies Citizens
a Chance to Vote on Marriage
Pols Vote To Adjourn
Joint Session without a Vote on Amendment
Gov. Michael Dukakis tells MassNews that the
people should have been allowed to vote. |
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By Ed Oliver
July 18, 2002
In a move that crushed a grass-roots
effort by thousands of people around the state
to preserve traditional marriage, a Joint
Session of the Massachusetts legislature voted
137 to 53 to adjourn the Constitutional Convention
yesterday, thus denying citizens a chance
to vote on the "Protection of Marriage
Amendment" in 2004.
The proposed Constitutional
Amendment was intended to preserve the legal
definition of marriage as the union of one
man and one woman.
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Moments after the Constitutional
Convention was gaveled open by Senate President Birmingham,
a motion to adjourn was offered by State Senator Brian
Lees (R-Springfield), leading to a roll-call vote
on the motion. After the tally was read aloud and
the convention adjourned, Senator Birmingham and the
rest of the Senate were ceremoniously led out of the
chamber the same way they were led in -- by a man
wearing a top-hat and carrying a mace.
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Gay activists who filled half
the public viewing gallery erupted into cheers
and applause when the adjournment was announced,
while about 500 marriage supporters who never
got into the gallery milled around the hallways,
angry and disappointed at the turn of events.
After it was over, Jim Lafferty,
spokesman for Massachusetts Citizens for Marriage
in Waltham, told MassNews, "We are going
to see what we can do beyond this. There may
be other options available, but this was another
instance of Senator Birmingham blocking people
out of the process. This whole petition process
was set up to allow people to enact policy
when the legislature thwarts their wishes
as just happened here."
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Sen. President Tom Birmingham is led out of
the chamber after the vote to adjourn.
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When MassNews pointed out
that this time it was not just Sen. Birmingham, but
the entire legislature who voted to adjourn, Lafferty
said, "That was under intense pressure from the
Senate President. We got 53 votes in that process,
which tells me that we did have the 50 votes that
were required to win had the Amendment been voted
on. It was Senator Birmingham strong-arming people
that made it go this way."
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Jim Rappaport explains why he supports the
Marriage Amendment.
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The public gallery was under
tighter control yesterday than it was for
the Convention on June 19. On that date, marriage
supporters filled the seats and aisles an
hour before the Convention started. Then,
after Senator Birmingham postponed the Convention
without a vote, marriage supporters refused
to leave and chanted, "We want the vote!
We want the vote!" Extra guards had to
be brought in to clear the gallery.
This time, a much larger crowd
of marriage supporters was on hand. Extra
guards were stationed in the gallery in advance.
People were not allowed in early, but were
kept waiting outside the gallery doors until
five minutes before the Convention started.
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Even when the doors were
opened, only about a hundred were allowed in.Nobody
was allowed to stand in the aisles, and the seats
were not filled to capacity. At least half the people
who managed to get in were gay activists who locked
their arms, allowing their own people in and blocking
marriage supporters from entering. Some pushing and
shoving occurred at the doors.
Earlier in the day, a growing
crowd of marriage supporters stood outside the State
House holding signs that read, "Let the people
vote for marriage." Opponents of the measure
were also visible to a lesser degree holding signs
reading, "All families need benefits and protections."
Candidate for Lt. Governor,
Jim Rappaport, stood outside with marriage supporters
and listened to their concerns. Rappaport said he
supports the traditional concept of the one-man- one-woman
marriage. He said he signed and supported the petition
drive and believes the people should vote on this
important matter.
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"I'm not confident that
Senator Birmingham believes in democracy,"
said Rappaport to MassNews.
One group of gay activists,
calling themselves The Homosexual Communist
Media, worked the crowd with a video recorder
and microphone "interviewing" marriage
supporters.
One gay activist agitator, who
would not give his name, continually harassed
marriage supporters with a stream of verbal
insults and profanity. He said he particularly
hated Christians, whom he called "freaks."
He got in an altercation with a young man
after sticking a camera in his face. A State
Trooper intervened, but there were no arrests.
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State troopers warn a homosexual activist
to stop harassing the people.
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As people headed for home,
former Governor Michael Dukakis was spotted hurriedly
entering the statehouse. MassNews informed Dukakis
that the Constitutional Convention was adjourned without
a vote, and asked him if he thought the people should
have been allowed to vote on the Protection of Marriage
Amendment. "Sure" he said.
Mass. Citizens for Marriage
is now considering what its next move will be in light
of yesterday's unconstitutional action.
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