an interesting day for GLBT rights
Sep. 14th, 2005 04:11 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
sophiaserpentiaToday there have been two legislative victories:
The Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 2005, which will extend federal hate crimes protection to gays, lesbians, bisexuals, and transgendered folks, was successfully passed in the US House of Representatives. (I don't have a link yet as this is breaking news.) A similar bill was introduced in the Senate in May by Senator Kennedy.
The Massachusetts Legislature in joint session voted 157-39 against a proposed state constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage and institute same-sex civil union instead.
The Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 2005, which will extend federal hate crimes protection to gays, lesbians, bisexuals, and transgendered folks, was successfully passed in the US House of Representatives. (I don't have a link yet as this is breaking news.) A similar bill was introduced in the Senate in May by Senator Kennedy.
The Massachusetts Legislature in joint session voted 157-39 against a proposed state constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage and institute same-sex civil union instead.
[S]ome legislators who had initially supported the proposed change to the state constitution said they no longer felt right about denying the rights of marriage to same-sex couples.
"Gay marriage has begun, and life has not changed for the citizens of the commonwealth, with the exception of those who can now marry," said state Sen. Brian Lees, an East Longmeadow Republican who had been a co-sponsor of the amendment. "This amendment which was an appropriate measure or compromise a year ago, is no longer, I feel, a compromise today."
