SmartReMarxcom

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.

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