Good News On The Home Front

Now here's an interesting concept: 55 politicans change their minds on an issue based on the evidence. Yes, the Massachusetts Legislature overwhelmingly defeated the proposed constitutional ban on same-sex marriage after--you don't hear this every day--"a dramatic change of heart by dozens of moderate lawmakers." 55 politicians who had last year supported the amendment "flip-flopped" and now don't. Why? After the Massachusetts Supreme Court ruled a ban on gay marriage unconsitutional, gay people got hitched, the sky didn't fall, heterosexual husbands didn't leave their wives for other men, heterosexual women didn't leave their husbands for other women. Yesterday's measure failed 39-157.

Of course, in the name of "balance," the Boston Globe is quick to point out that this has energized "both sides" and that it signals "a new strategy by stauch opponents of legalized gay marriage." The new strategy? Had the bill passed, marriage would have been banned but civil unions permitted, so "many of the Legislature's most ardent opponents of gay marriage... abandoned the compromise measure, preferring another proposed amendment that seeks an outright ban on same-sex marriage." This is not a new strategy, folks. They were going to lose and they needed a way to spin it. There's a difference. If you can't pass a measure banning gay marriage but permitting civil unions, it's pretty unlikely you're going to pass a measure just banning gay marriage. But maybe there's part of this "new strategy" I'm not understanding.

Bottom line: Mass. lawmakers did the right thing, people do change their minds, and Mitt Romney should've done everyone a favor and run for governor of Utah instead. There's probably never been more convincing evidence presented that the success or failure of the gay rights movement depends, in large part, on our ability to humanize the issue--to puts our names and stories ahead of the rhetoric (check out Republican Brian Lees' comments).

Strangest comment in the Globe story comes from Senate President Robert Travaglini, a sponsor of the defeated amendment and apparently a graduate of the Jose Canseco School of Competition: "''For me, it's never been about winning and losing,' Travaglini told reporters shortly after the roll call concluded. 'It's always been about fairness.'"

Rigggght.