Press Release

Humanists Applaud Massachusetts Ruling Favoring Same-Sex Marriage

For Immediate Release - Contact: Roy Speckhardt at (202) 238-9088

(Washington, D.C., February 4, 2004) "The Massachusetts high court decision supporting same-sex marriage, indicates a major step forward in the history of American marriage law," states American Humanist Association (AHA) President Mel Lipman. "The Massachusetts Supreme Court makes clear that denying marriage to same-sex couples is inconsistent with individual liberty and freedom from government intrusion."

Lipman continued, "As the courts are beginning to realize, there is no room for the creation of second-class citizens in this country. This ruling is a step forward, but more steps are needed. We must not tolerate the withholding of equal rights on the basis of sexual orientation." In deciding that civil unions were not an adequate alternative to equal consideration, this court did not fail to see the analogy of this case to Brown v. Board of Education. "Separate, but not equal, is a falsehood any rational person can recognize," emphasizes Lipman.

Today's decision reflected AHA board member and Harvard Humanist Chaplain, Tom Ferrick's statement that, "This ruling will not harm the lives of anyone who is not gay, but will be a great benefit to those who are and want full citizenship in our Commonwealth." Writing the opinion, Chief Justice Margaret Marshall said, "The department has offered no evidence that forbidding marriage to people of the same-sex will increase the number of couples choosing to enter into opposite-sex marriages in order to have and raise children. There is thus no rational relationship between the marriage statute and the Commonwealth's proffered goal of protecting the "optimal" child rearing unit… It cannot be rational under our laws, and indeed it is not permitted, to penalize children by depriving them of State benefits because the State disapproves of their parents' sexual orientation."

AHA Executive Director Tony Hileman adds, "We agree with the court's affirmation that the institution of marriage is secular, not sacramental. Regardless of religious precepts, marriage conveys legal benefits that cannot be constitutionally bounded by church decrees.

"The AHA has long pushed for equal marriage laws everywhere and we won't stop until every state respects the rights of all Americans. As most of us know, sexual orientation has no bearing on depth of commitment, ability to raise children, or overall family stability. Lesbian and gay couples deserve equal rights-not unenlightened legislation that tries to tie our society to blind tradition," concludes Hileman.

The American Humanist Association (www.americanhumanist.org) is the oldest and largest Humanist organization in the nation. The AHA is dedicated to ensuring a voice for those with a positive nontheistic outlook, based on reason and experience, which embraces all of humanity. .

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