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Equal Rights For All
I Support Equal Marriage Rights
This candidate solidly supports equal marriage rights. I was the very first candidate in this contest to declare support of equal marriage rights- and I am the very first candidate ever to campaign "out of the closet" in this district, period.
The Supreme Judicial Court was absolutely correct to recognize that continued discrimination against same sex couples in terms of marriage rights constitutes a violation of civil and human rights. People ought not be bankrupted if compelled to care for sick and injured partners of the same sex. Same sex partners of the sick and injured ought not be denied hospital or nursing home visitation rights. Same sex partners of homeowners ought not be denied Homestead Act protection. Same sex partners of sick and injured folks deemed incompetent should have a voice in their medical care. Same sex partners who transfer land and exchange gifts with one another should not be taxed for that exchange when married couples aren't. Same sex partners ought not lack automatic inheritance rights that heterosexually married spouses take for granted. Same sex partners should have legal obligations to the children of their partners. Same sex partners of workers injured on the job ought not be denied dependency benefits. Same sex partners ought not be denied protections for families of crime victims, including confidentiality of address, the right to information, and the right to make a victim impact statement. Same sex partners ought not be denied family medical and bereavement leaves from employers. Same sex partners ought not lack access to family health and auto insurance policies. Partners of police officers, firefighters and prosecutors who are killed on the job should have access to line of duty benefits. Same sex partners ought not lack standing to bring claims of wrongful death or loss of consortium when a loved one's death results from wrongdoing.
Marriage within the Commonwealth is a civil as well as a religious institution. Within our Commonwealth, couples have always enjoyed the right to participate within the civil institution regardless of their views on religion or religious beliefs. To withhold from any such couples the rights that marriage affords is a clear violation of their civil rights.
The proposed anti-gay petition is illegal under the Massachusetts Constitution. Rabbis, priests, priestesses and imams are solemnizing the marriages of same-sex couples within our Commonwealth even as you read this. For this measure to restrict their solemnization of such sacraments renders the measure one "that relates to religion, religious practices or religious institutions."
This is a question of religious rights as well. Religions throughout our nation have bestowed marital sacraments upon same sex couples for generations, and for millennia worldwide. Recognition of such sacraments by the State ought not depend on how closely they correspond to discriminatory practice by more politically powerful faiths.
The Struggle Has Not Ended
We must defend the growing Gay/ Straight Alliance movement in schools against continued efforts to level-fund or zero-fund their valuable and needed advocacy
We must support a comprehensive and inclusive health education curriculum within our schools and oppose so-called "opt-in" legislation.
We must include gender expression within state and municipal anti-discrimination statutes.
We must support legislation to grant same-sex couples the same rights other married couples enjoy to government health care benefits including MassHealth benefits
View more resources below:
Defend the Gay/ Straight Alliance Movement!
Opposing Candidates Air Views on MassResistance Hate Radio
Letter Submitted Agawam Advertiser News, 12 October 2006
Greens Hail Goodrich Ruling
Letter to Former Representative Daniel Keenan, 11 February 2004
Agawam Advertiser News Letter, St. Valentine's Feast Day 2004
Moving Beyond Marriage
Owen R. Broadhurst on Google
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