What a week for Massachusetts!

[KamaAina]

Pats win...

Kerry wins 5 of 7...

and most importantly...

EQUALITY WINS with the gay marriage decision!!!!!!!

Do you think this will hold up? Will the (Dem) Legislature panic and throw up something to block it? (I think it would have to be a constitutional amendment) Can Bush* ram a similarly ill-advised Federal constitutional amendment through Congress, then 37 state legislatures? Can empty suit Romney do anything to stop it? (You know he must be seething...)

And if it does (and no other state follows suit)...

Will there be another "gay migration", this time to Mass.? Imagine: thousands of gay and lesbian couples settling in the Bay State (the "Gay State"? :-) ), from Boston's South End, through numerous old mill towns in need of revitalization, to Northampton and its environs in the tranquil Berkshires.

Since they'd be recognized as married couples, there'd (presumably) be no barriers to adoption: Bye-bye, lengthy placement lists! Plus, just like in SF years ago, think of the disparity between new tax revenue (lots) and additional children in need of schooling (rather few). And, what a draw for Route 128's struggling tech industry (which was losing out to SiliValley, and even Raleigh-Durham, Austin, etc., even before the crash)!

Ahhhh.. it puts me in mind of that old tourism jingle, "The spirit of Massachusetts is the spirit of America".

[Kathy in Cambridge]

1. It's Going to Help the Economy

The Repukes and Conservative Dems are trying to start the amendment process. But Mass. is lagging behind the rest of the country during the "recovery", so this is a great thing for the state. But also, I truly believe to deny 10% of the population civil rights is an abomination. If they go forward and legislate this, my husband and I are moving to Amsterdam.

[Lexingtonian]

2. It's been a good start to the year.... :-)

I'm not sure about the last paragraphs there, but all in all things look good. Nationally, opposition to GM is the same people as opposition to Roe v Wade- there's not enough there, it'll crest and collapse as a political tool during the summer.

It's going to look kinda murky for a while. In November our boy Kerry is going to make it a trifecta on the year, though. And make the wingnuts howl.... :D

[KamaAina]

3. True, the "gay migration" thing may be a bit of a leap,

but it came to me after seeing the adamant support for GM among many of our own gay and (especially) lesbian DUers. It occurred to me that at least some percentage of gay couples might wish to, and be able to, settle where their civil rights are actually recognized. Mass. is, after all, a highly urbanized state with a diverse economy; it wouldn't be as difficult for a gay couple to settle there as, say, in Vermont.

As for the high-tech thing, the industry is well known to have a higher than average percentage of gay employees. High-tech firms were among the first to offer domestic partnership benefits.

Funny, I always thought you were from Lexington, Ky., not the one that is usually followed by the phrase "and Concord". Silly me.

[Kathy in Cambridge]

4. Aren't you proud of Mass., Lexingtonian?

I love that we value civil rights here. And i think the wingnuts will try to make a big deal out of it too.

[Moderator]

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