Out-Of-State Gays Can Marry In Mass.

Governor Repeals Law Banning Nuptials For Couples Residing Elsewhere

(AP)  Gay couples from outside Massachusetts are now free to marry in the state.

Gov. Deval Patrick signed a bill Thursday repealing a 1913 law that barred couples from marrying in Massachusetts if their union would not be valid in their own states.

Massachusetts has allowed gay marriages since 2004, but the move to repeal the law makes the state equal with California, which recently became the only other state to legalize gay marriage and has no residency requirement.

Out-of-state gay couples can marry as soon as Thursday, since lawmakers included a provision to make the repeal go into effect immediately.

In Massachusetts, there is a standard three-day waiting period after applying for a license, but any couple can petition a court for a waiver - something gay couples in-state did by the hundreds when the first legal gay marriages in the nation were performed in May 2004.

"We're being recognized as a married couple," said Joy Spring, of Middletown, N.Y., who planned to marry her partner of seven years, Carla Barbano, in Provincetown on Friday.

Their 11-year-old daughter, Lizzy, will exchange rings with the couple at the wedding.

"It's extremely important," Spring said. "If something happened to one of us she'd always be taken care of."

Patrick, the state's first black governor, said he was proud to supported repeal of the law, which he said had its roots in racism. It was first passed 95 years ago as states tried to prevent interracial marriages.

He said the repeal shows that in Massachusetts, "equal means equal."

"In five years now, ... the sky has not fallen, the earth has not opened to swallow us all up, and more to the point, thousands and thousands of good people - contributing members of our society - are able to make free decisions about their personal future, and we ought to seek to affirm that every chance we can," said Patrick, whose 18-year-old daughter revealed recently she is a lesbian.

Opponents said repealing the law would make Massachusetts the "Las Vegas of gay marriage" and would infringe on other states' rights to define marriage.

Supporters said it will bring an economic boon.

A state study estimates that more than 30,000 out-of-state gay couples - most of them from New York - will wed in Massachusetts over the next three years. That would boost the state's economy by $111 million and create 330 jobs, the study estimated.

City and town clerks anticipate an uptick in applications in communities bordering Massachusetts, mostly for reasons of convenience.

Anyone wanting to get married must fill out a one-page "intention to marry" form, asking for their contact information and whether they have been married before. The form, used since October 2005, also asks where they currently live and plan to live once married, which has been vehicle by which clerks have previously been able to block out-of-state couples from obtaining a marriage license.

The license is good anywhere in Massachusetts, so an out-of-state gay couple living elsewhere in New York or New England could apply in a border community and then marry anywhere in the state.

[ladyesq1]

I LOVE THESE COMMENTS. Thank you, Mass.! At least we have TWO states now that aren''t filled with complete morons. There is hope yet for this country (we need to catch up to the other countries that have absolutely NO problem w/ gay marriage).

[voltaire333]

Thats funny because everytime the people have been allowed to vote on this issue, they have voted against it. If it wasn''t for liberal Judges and the Gay PACs etc, it would not be legal anywhere here in the USA.
Posted by SGinNC at 11:32 AM : Aug 01, 2008

That''s funny, if it wasn''t for "liberal judges," it would still be illegal in this country for a black man to marry a white woman. Did you know that, little buddy? Bet your not quite learned enough to realize that there have been lots of immoral laws throughout history. Just because a majority of christians in this country agreed on it, doesn''t mean the law was not immoral and evil. See, e.g., laws allowing for the ownership of slaves. Buh-bye now.

[honestabe8]

SGinNC: you danced around one of my questions. do you think orientation is chosen? If you chose yours, when did you do so?

[honestabe8]

"I guess I was making an assumption, but that is because people generally fall into two catagories: Those that believe a higher power made us and those who believe that we evolved from nothing. Where do you fit in if you don''''t mind me asking?"

I don''t mind at all. I don''t know if a higher power exists. I see no proof of this. I do not equate "creator" with "God". To my way of thinking on this to do so is a huge leap of logic. The line seems to be "we have a complex universe, so that proves that Jesus died for your sins". Welcome to the Non-Sequitor society, we may not make sense, but we like pizza. Tell me, why do you feel that this higher power should be worshipped? Would an omnipotent being who created everything want to be worshipped? Would you? Truly, "God" is painted by many of his followers as hardly more than a petty prick. This is a sin, that is a sin. Admittedly, I cannot prove that God does not exist. Nor can I prove that unicorns do not exist.

[xmanborg]

This is SUPER now Gayness will be all over the place.

[whiskyrokkr]

SGinNC
------
You are correct sir.

[whiskyrokkr]

honestabe8
---------
Good point

[sparty088]

There are plenty of states that do not support gay marriage or civil unions. If someone is that opposed to it than they can move or continue to live in one of those states. The political process allows the people of each state to decide for themselves, to a certain extent, how their society will operate. If you live in Mass. or Cali. and don''t feel like moving, too bad. The laws of this country are not, and should not, be based on religious beliefs against the will of the people.

[honestabe8]

As far as me comparing homosexuality with sexual acts with animals or children, this is fair game. Yes dogs can consent, you ever seen a dog humping on a person? Dogs are acting on biological urge. They do not consent any more than claiming someone chooses to breathe. And a child can be conditioned to accept that *** with an adult is normal. Still, there is no consent in the eyes of the law. If you want to marry your adult daughter, have at it.

"You want to believe that all that you see around you was made by two molecules coming together at some magic moment" Where I say anything about what I believe to the the origin of the universe? Making a lot of assumptions, aren''t you? And, why does the idea of a higher power in and of itself mean a "judge"?

And, you have not answered my question of whether you believe that orientation is a choice. If you believe it is, when did you make this choice?

"One of us is right, but who?" Not true. Both of us could be wrong. I am willing to admit this possibility, are you?

[honestabe8]

"BOY WITH BOY / WOMAN WITH WOMAN doesn''''t look right does it?"
Posted by lazareth

Now don''t get all fanatical. Some of my favorite movies prominantly featured WOMAN WITH WOMAN (with cheesy guitar music in the background)

[xmanborg]

Its about time. !!!!!!

All the Ultra Conservatives and Christians and Red Necks are in Panic Mode because now they have to deal with Gayness in their face.

WWWWWWWaaaaaaaa. Maybe you should go cry in your Beer because you lost your battle.

[honestabe8]

Posted by SGinNC

Gosh, how to start?


"Homosexuality is a sin just like any other sin, and it is also the sexual act that makes it wrong"...based on what? Also, do you believe that orientation is a choice? I am a straight male, and at no point did I say "Hmmm...Betty and Billy look equally hot, I think I will go for Betty" Did you choose your orientation? At what point?

"This compulsion to have *** with someone of the same *** is the same as someone having a compulsion to have *** with an animal or a child" Do you seriously equate homosexuality (the urge or compulsion) with beastiality or child rape? Seems a bit absurd to me, in that neither animals nor children can legally consent.

Also, do you realize the absurdity of expecting people can be afraid of retaliation of beings in which they do not believe. I do not fear Bugs Bunny, I do not fear any "god"

[sparty088]

Well said Cheetah-Man7. With all that is going on in the world it seems pretty trivial that the religious right gets so heated about two people trying to be happy and live their own, private lives.

[cheetah-man7]

Posted by Voltaire333 "Why is it that the only tools of persuassion christians have are hate and fear? Hatred of humanity (unless christian heterosexual) and fear of an evil and vindictive god? I find that curious indeed."

_________________
Well said! I could not have said it better! The God I love and worship is not about being evil and fearful to others. He wants us to love Him the same way He loves us. Considering some of the sins that these so-called Heterosexual Christians perform, I find it very hypocritical - and a good reason to love God from your heart, and not from a church with plenty of Kool-Ade to go around. Let those who know love be allowed to marry and find happiness in the world - it certainly does not diminish my life in any way. Why are Christians so up in arms about this? Do they expect to play judge and jury in Heaven? Does 2 men or 2 women marrying really affect them? If so, how?

[whiskyrokkr]

Let them get married and be happy. Who cares?

[honestabe8]

that was noseonurface, not noseonsurface...just woke up, eyes aren''t focusing well yet.

[honestabe8]

voltaire: empty proxy threats are all they have. just look at noseonsurface''s replies...satan this, hell that. ooooh....comic book stuff, indeed.

[voltaire333]

Why is it that the only tools of persuassion christians have are hate and fear? Hatred of humanity (unless christian heterosexual) and fear of an evil and vindictive god? I find that curious indeed.

[voltaire333]

"I really tried to believe that, but I gotta tell you, the longer you live, the more you look around, the more you realize, something is f-ed up.

Something is wrong here. War, disease, death, destruction, hunger, filth, poverty, torture, crime, corruption, and the Ice Capades. Something is definitely wrong. This is not good work. If this is the best God can do, I am not impressed. Results like these do not belong on the risumi of a Supreme Being. This is the kind of sh*t you''d expect from an office temp with a bad attitude. And just between you and me, in any decently-run universe, this guy would''ve been out on his all-powerful a$$ a long time ago. And by the way, I say "this guy", because I firmly believe, looking at these results, that if there is a God, it has to be a man.

No woman could or would ever f--- things up like this. So, if there is a God, I think most reasonable people might agree that he''s at least incompetent, and maybe, just maybe, doesn''t give a sh*t. Doesn''t give a sh*t, which I admire in a person, and which would explain a lot of these bad results."

G. Carlin

[voltaire333]

God will try everything to get you to search for Him.

You see, for a person to get saved, they have to see they NEED to be saved from themselves, and my friend, George Carlin never saw it. You will meet the same fate if you persist in the same sky high pride that you have.
Posted by noseonurface at 09:30 PM : Jul 31, 2008

LMAO! First, if he is all powerful, why does he have to "try" to get me to search for him? Second, stop trying use fear to get me to agree with you. It is the mark of a coward, and you, my friend, are a true coward.