WE WON 14th Worcester District,  to fill vacancy of pro-equality Representative James B. Leary CONGRATULATIONS  to Jim O'Day!	STILL AT RISK MAY 15, 2007 Dedham, Westwood & Walpole
	11th Norfolk District  to fill vacancy of  Pro-Equality Representative Robert K. Coughlin. If anyone knows WHO we should be endorsing here, PLEASE let me know    Primary Candidates:         D- Stephen Bilafer         D- Thomas Boncek          D- Joanne Flatley         D- Cheryl Schoenfeld         R- William McKinney          R- Doug Obey         I- Paul McMurtry         I- Margot Pyle

Friends, 

What a roller coaster week this has been for anyone watching the equality-related political scene here in MA.  

+ FIRST - It seems the sudden rumors that Senate President Travaglini was leaving were more than just rumors, that this had been know by insiders for quite some time.  Plymouth's Senator Murray was easily voted into the new Senate President position. Senator Murray is a legislator that has helped us to fight for our protections and has vowed to team with our advocates to help defeat the petitioned amendment. We now have ALL the Legislative Leaders (Senate, House and Governor) firmly on our side! PLEASE CLICK HERE TO SEND OUR NEW SENATE PRESIDENT A CONGRATULATIONS LETTER, ASKING THAT SHE CONTINUE TO HELP US TO PROTECT OUR RIGHTS.

+ THEN - broke news that WE WON the Worcester, primary to refill the seat of Heroic Representative Jim O'Day.  CONGRATULATIONS to Jim O'Leary, an outspoken advocate of equality, for his strong victory; the race wasn't even all that close.  Even though this was just a primary, it is considered a VICTORY, as Jim's opponent in the final election is also Pro Marriage Equality!  YEAH!!!

- CONCERN: I still have not found out any further info on the 11th Norfolk District interim election, and I think we should remain very concerned.  MassEquality has not responded on who is endorsed.  PLEASE!... If you know anyone in Dedham, Walpole, Westwood SPREAD THE WORD ON THESE ELECTIONS!... There remains the REAL potential to LOSE a pro-equality vote!. 

- THEN - broke news that New Senate President Murray announced to the press that she would not block the second and final vote that would put our marriage protections on the ballot.  

+ THEN - came the statements from other legislators that stated that the petition effort could still be doomed... that there are many other ways to defeat it.

TOTALED UP, WE ARE EVER-SO-SLIGHTLY AHEAD of where we were last week in terms of our battle.  This could very well be a temporary situation as there is still the 11th Norfolk District vote at risk and 8-9 more votes to sway our way.  We will soon see a frantic race to replace Senator Travaglini... this could be an easy way to gain a new vote for equality... (at least a little easier than trying to sway stubborn politicians that have already voted against us - which we still need to do)

If you have comments/feedback that I should include next week, please feel free to use the feedback link to the left. 

Travaglini resigns as Mass. Senate president
TRAVAGLINI VOTED TO PUT GAY MARRIAGE BAN UP FOR STATEWIDE BALLOT; NEW HEIR SEN. THERESE MURRAY VOTED TO PROTECT MARRIAGE RIGHTS FOR SAME-SEX COUPLES - Robert Travaglini on Wednesday resigned from the Massachusetts Senate after four years as president, during which time he led lawmakers through a series of contentious gay marriage debates and helped pass the state's landmark health care law.  (Read More)
  

  

Murray elected to replace Travaglini as Senate president
BOSTON --Therese Murray, a self-described "kid from Dorchester", won election as president of the Massachusetts Senate on Wednesday, succeeding Robert Travaglini and becoming the first woman to lead either legislative body in the state.

Murray, a Plymouth Democrat who chaired the budget-setting Senate Ways and Means Committee, now holds one of the three most powerful positions in state government. (Read More)

  
Primary Victory for Pro-Equality Candidate Jim O'Day in Worcester Special Election 
Anti-marriage group's endorsed candidate finishes last
MassEquality praised the election of pro-equality candidate Jim O'Day in yesterdays four-person Democratic primary to fill the seat vacated by former Representative Jim Leary. 

This election was yet another indicator that voters across the state support candidates who support marriage equality and oppose discrimination, said MassEquality Campaign Director Marc Solomon. This is not a liberal district, so for an outspoken supporter of marriage equality to do so well is just another sign that voters support candidates who think it is wrong to vote on peoples rights. (Read More). 

  
Contenders quick to begin campaigns to replace Travaglini
Signs were printed, press releases prepared. Even as Robert E. Travaglini stood in the State House lauding his successor as president yesterday, candidates were getting ready to launch campaigns for the Senate seat he has held for 14 years.  (Read More)

   
Murray says she will allow vote on gay marriage amendment 
Newly elected Senate President Therese Murray said Thursday she would work with gay rights advocates to defeat a proposed constitutional amendment outlawing gay marriage -- but won’t block lawmakers from voting on the measure.

Some gay marriage supporters had hoped the Plymouth Democrat, who will preside over the next joint session of the House and Senate, would use any one of a number of parliamentary maneuvers to block a vote.  (Read More)

 

Gay marriage ban still faces hard slog ahead
An announcement by new Senate President Therese Murray that she will allow a vote on a ban on gay marriage, is far from a guarantee that the proposed constitution amendment will pass, local legislators said Friday.

The lawmakers from the Attleboro area said they are pleased Murray will not use parliamentary procedures to block a vote, even though she's an opponent of the ban.

But, they said months of "hardball" politics stand in the way of passage. . (Read More)
  

Statewide special elections could unseat gay-friendly legislators 
GAY MARRIAGE ADVOCATES UNSURE OF ELECTION OUTCOMES 
The outcome of special elections scheduled to take place in the next few weeks across the state could mean the difference in the next Constitutional Convention between legislators moving forward or permanently squashing efforts to put a proposed amendment banning same-sex marriage on the 2008 ballot. (Read More)

Please take note, that you don't need to be from my area of MA anymore to get a letter to the editor published. PLEASE help to counter the anti-gay comments being printed and to help educate the general public. You can take a look at the recent letters in my "Editorial Watch" below for inspiration then submit your own letters.

PLEASE HELP by forwarding to me (sscivilrights@comcast.net,) "letters to the editor" and "news editorials" from any/all sources possible so that we can keep track and try to respond. 

THIS WEEK	LAST WEEK
BOSTON GLOBE EDITORIAL: A painful split in Attleboro PATRIOT LEDGER: OUR VIEW: Good luck, madam president	PATRIOT LEDGER: READER’S VIEW: Don’t impose your religion on me  PATRIOT LEDGER: READER's VIEW: Public schools must stick to the basics PATRIOT LEDGER: READER’S VIEW: Do I get to vote on your rights?  BOSTON GLOBE: Disdain sealed with a (same-sex) kiss BOSTON GLOBE: Room for bigots BOSTON GLOBE: Gays -- and morality -- in military  (BOTH VIEWS)

BOSTON GLOBE EDITORIAL: A shameful reversal of rights

 

PLEASE FORWARD THIS LINK TO YOUR FRIENDS AND COLLEAGUES ASKING THEM TO JOIN MY DISTRIBUTION:

http://home.comcast.net/~sscivilrights 
We need more people to get involved else our marriage protections are definitely going to the ballot!

Contact Your Legislators... REGULARLY!

Contact your legislators
Its now time where new people need to step up.  Legislators already know the names of those who have been dedicated to this fight so far and seem to be taking them/us for granted.  WE NEED NEW PEOPLE TO CONTACT LEGISLATORS!..  AND SUBMIT LETTERS TO THE PRESS... From gay AND STRAIGHT folks alike.

Learn about your legislators

View the 2006 votes [pdf]

Write your local newspaper... REGULARLY!

Important debates happen in your local newspaper. Help us spread the word about marriage equality.

Write your newspaper
Anti-gay groups have been watching the editorial section of the South Shore's Patriot Ledger and noticing that letters WERE starting to lean in our favor.  Since my last newsletter, 3 anti-gay letters have been published that need our response... if 3 are published against us, then we need to strive for 6 more for us.  We NEED to send a public message to our legislators that majority is against this amendment.  I cannot stress enough, that it is the legislators in this area that a critical to killing the amendment.  PLEASE WRITE IN... OR... Ghost write for friends and submit for them (with their permission of course as they will need to respond with a final OK when the paper contacts them)