Massachusetts to Allow Out-of-State Gay Couples to Wed

Comments Off

The Massachusetts House today passed a repeal of a 1913 law that effectively prevented out-of-state gay couples from marrying in Massachusetts, the first state to legalize gay marriage in 2004. This move followed a previous vote by the state Senate to repeal the law and Governor Deval Patrick has indicated that he will sign the measure. The repeal passed by a wide margin, 118 to 35, after only 45 minutes of debate.

The archaic law was rooted in turn-of-the-century attempts to keep interracial couples from marrying. It barred nuptials for any visiting couple who could not be legally wed in their home state and was passed at a time when many other states banned interracial marriage. The little known law was resurrected in 2004 by then-Governor Mitt Romney, seeking to attenuate the effects of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court’s Goodridge decision that allowed same-sex weddings.

With the repeal, Massachusetts is expected to experience a boom in the destination wedding industry as it hosts gay couples from all over the country. California is currently the only other state in which gay couples can marry.

Comments are closed.