Firstly, it's too late. There is no way to move AALL at this point.
Boycotting Massachusetts, in these circunstances, would mean no annual
meeting.
Secondly, when AALL rolls around in July, Massachusetts is going to be the
only state in the Union where gay marriage is legal. I'm not sure it's such
a great blow for civil rights for gays to boycott the only state where gay
couples will be entering into unambiguously legal marriages.
I don't know how well this is being reported in other states, but what
happened last night was not that the state constitution was amended. What
happened was that the first step in the process of amending the constitution
was completed--but what was approved last night now has to go before the
legislature again next year, and then, in the fall of 2006, it has to go
before the voters. By the time that happens, gay marriage will have been
legal in Massachusetts for 2 1/2 years. And I'm betting that, in that time,
the sky won't have fallen, and lots of people who may be uncomfortable with
gay marriage now will have noticed that it hasn't fallen.
Moreover, it's by no means a foregone conclusion that what passed last night
will pass again next year, because _both_ pros and antis are very unhappy
with it. If it can't pass a second time as is, they don't get to amend it;
they have to start the process from scratch.
Meanwhile, the calendar keeps turning, and gay marriage becomes more and
more an established fact.
Don't boycott Boston; come to Boston, and if so moved, drop a polite note to
the Governor, the Speaker, and/or the Senate President, pointing out how
much money you spent while here and how much you would be disinclined to do
so again, if this proposed amendment becomes the law of the state.
Elisabeth Carey
Reference Librarian
Testa Hurwitz & Thibeault
125 High Street
Boston, MA 02110
-----Original Message-----
From: Baker, Brian L. [mailto:bbaker@udc.edu]
Sent: Tuesday, March 30, 2004 11:20 AM
To: 'law-lib@ucdavis.edu'
Subject: AALL, Boston, and the Massachusetts State Legislature's action
to ban Gay Marriage.
Colleagues,
I am very concerned about the important Civil Rights issue of Gay Marriage.
I am also concerned about whether holding the AALL Annual Meeting in Boston
this Summer would be providing some support to the anti Gay Marriage
position.
I know an unbelievable amount of hard work has gone into this Annual
Meeting. I understand that the timing of the Massachusetts Legislature's
actions are unfortunate.
I also know that I, for one, am hesitant about providing tax dollars to
support such a narrow minded legislature.
I am surprised that there has not been a call to boycott Boston over this
issue.
Am I out of step?
Shouldn't this be a topic for reasoned discussion?
Sincerely,
Brian
Brian L. Baker, JD, MLS
Director of the Law Library
& Assistant Professor of Law
UDC David A. Clarke School of Law
4200 Connecticut Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20008
Voice: 202-274-7354 Fax: 202-274-7311
bbaker@udc.edu
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