Joe Solmonese, president of the Human Rights Campaign, the nation’s largest gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender civil rights organization, issued the following statement today regarding an Indiana House committee voting five to five to kill a state constitutional amendment bill banning same-sex marriage.
Today, Massachusetts legislators are voting on a constitutional amendment that would overturn the state’s marriage equality law. More than 8,000 same-sex couples have married in the Bay State over the past three years, but this vote could end that landmark law. Massachusetts is currently the only state that extends full marriage rights to same-sex couples.
In January, same-sex couples in the Granite State will be able to enter into civil unions, thanks to a new law signed by Gov. John Lynch.
Same-sex couples will soon be able to enter into civil unions in New Hampshire. Meanwhile, a sweeping gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender civil rights bill in Iowa has passed the state Legislature.
The Empire State could soon recognize gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender families as equal. New York's state Assembly has voted 85 to 61 to pass a key bill that would extend marriage rights to same-sex couples. And Massachusetts legislators have voted to preserve marriage equality in the Bay State.
In a victory for equality, Massachusetts state legislators voted to preserve marriage equality in the Bay State. Anti-gay leaders had tried to put the rights of same-sex couples up for a vote through a constitutional amendment that would have stripped marriage equality away from thousands of couples. Massachusetts is currently the only state that extends full marriage rights to same-sex couples.