Repealing the 1913 Bill

Repealing this antiquated, ugly law that prevented out-of-state same-sex couples from marrying here was one of our top priorities this year -- and in the final week of the legislative session, we were able to make it happen.

MassEquality worked closely with Governor Deval Patrick, Speaker Sal DiMasi, Senate President Therese Murray and the bill's lead sponsor, Senator Dianne Wilkerson, to move the 1913 legislation onto the agenda, coordinate strategy, and ensure its passage.

But we couldn't have done it without you. In the final stretch, when the bill's future was looking uncertain, you heard our call for help, and over 2,800 of you contacted your legislators in the final few weeks to ask them to take action. That grassroots power made the final difference.

Governor Patrick signs the repeal of the "1913" law, allowing same-sex couples from out of state to marry in Massachuetts

Protecting our Seniors: MassHealth Equality Bill Passes

Going into 2008, we knew that while we had protected the right of same-sex couples to marry, there was still work left to do to ensure those marriages were truly equal in the eyes of the law.

One important piece of work was passing the MassHealth Equality Bill, which grants same-sex married couples the same protections under MassHealth (our state Medicaid program) as heterosexual couples. Currently, if a married, same-sex couple owns a house together and one of them has to go into a nursing home, the other could lose the home once all the medical bills are paid. This is because the federal government's so-called Defense of Marriage Act considers these couples legal strangers, and doesn't shield the spouse who remains at home. By ensuring equal treatment for all married couples, this bill goes a long ways to protect LGBT seniors from the potential impoverishment and homelessness they faced under current Medicaid laws -- while showing our state's displeasure with the discriminatory DOMA.

Working with our partners at the LGBT Aging Project, we made the case to the legislature that this was a matter of basic fairness, and they listened. In July, both chambers of the House passed that bill, and the Governor signed it into law on July 31st.

Support for LGBT Youth

For students who are gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender or questioning, school can be a difficult place to learn and mature -- a fact that has only been confirmed by recent studies showing LGBT youth at an increased risk for suicide, homelessness, violence at school, and substance abuse.

Working with our allies at the State House and the Massachusetts GLBT Youth Commission, we increased funding for programs to support LGBT Youth by more than 50%. This increase in funding will help make our schools and communities safer and more supportive places for our youth.

Increased Funding for Domestic Violence Prevention

This was an incredibly tight budget year, with funding for most programs remaining the same or even being cut. Despite this tough fiscal climate, we were able to win substantial budget increases for all of our priority programs.

Working with the Gay Men's Domestic Violence Project and The Network/La Red, we won an extra $100,000 funding to support LGBT victims of domestic violence. This money will help increase the number of beds available at safe homes for LGBT victims and move these homes towards 24/7 staffing and support.

Reducing Disparities in HIV/AIDS

With the rate of HIV infections rising dramatically in Massachusetts, it's clear the fight against AIDS is far from over. The situation is even more dire for younger gay men and people of color: rates for both groups are rising at alarming rates, and communities of color continue to be disproportionately affected by HIV/AIDS.

To tackle this problem, we helped win increased funding to address disparities in HIV/AIDS prevention and care in communities of color by $500,000 this year.