A few months after Kate Watson and Joanne Goodnow of Mendon were legally married as a same-sex couple in Massachusetts, Goodnow had to be admitted into the hospital for some tests.
"I never realized it when things had actually changed for us when I was in the hospital and Kate called the hospital to see how I was," said Goodnow.
"There were so many times before we were married, when one of us was in the hospital, we couldn't see each other and it was horrible," said Watson. "Last August when I called the hospital, the nurse at first said she could not allow me to know Joanne's condition.
"When I told her we were married, the nurse didn't doubt me at all and said OK. It was great. I felt so powerful and I was treated wonderfully. For so many years, I'd be worried about getting kicked out of the hospital."
On May 17, 2004, Carisa Cunningham, the director of Public Affairs of the Gay and Lesbian Advocates and Defenders (GLAD), in a Press release said 1,700 same-sex couples legally married for the first time in Massachusetts.
As the anniversary rolls around, Goodnow and Watson reflect back to what they call a "wonderful year." They recently celebrated being together as a couple for 38 years on March 18, 2005, and they will celebrate their first wedding anniversary on June 5.
Watson, 68, said she thinks the attitudes against same-sex marriage have changed in the past year.
"A lot more people come up to me now and say, 'What's the big deal,'" said Watson. "There were even a number of elderly people from our own generation saying how happy they were for us. There was nothing negative. It was an eye-opening year."
"It's been an eye-opening experience the way we've been accepted by so many people," said Goodnow, 69. "It's been a good year. I don't see where anything has changed in anyone's daily living. Massachusetts hasn't fallen off the Earth or gone into the sea."
Since the high court's ruling allowing same-sex marriage took effect May 17, approximately 5,000 same-sex marriage certificates have been filed with the Registry of Vital Records and Statistics, said Cunningham.
Rep. Marie Parente, D-Milford, said Massachusetts residents still should have the right to vote on the matter.
"I'm still hearing from people who still would like to vote on same-sex marriage on the ballot," said Parente. "We're a country of laws and we seem to be ignoring the people who want to vote. Instead, we're getting activist judges governing and legislating from the bench. I've seen a 150,000 petition to get this issue on the ballot ignored and the solution to this is to give the people what they want.
"Same-sex marriage hasn't really created a disruption, but people feel they've been left out of the process," she said. "It's wrong to rule from the bench."
Kris Mineau, president of the Massachusetts Family Institute, said May 17, 2004, was a sad day in American history.
"May 17th is a reminder of a dark day in Massachusetts history and our nation's history," said Mineau. "It's the second shot heard around the world brought on by the judicial tyranny by the Supreme Judicial Court."
Rep. David Linsky, D-Natick, said there is an amendment to outlaw same-sex marriage that has to be passed twice through a constitutional convention by legislators. The amendment passed by a narrow four votes last year. Linsky said on May 11, the convention was recessed to Wednesday, Aug. 24.
"I expect the vote to outlaw same-sex marriage to happen in the fall by the earliest," said Linsky. "If it passes a second time, it will go to a state ballot vote on November 2006."
Linsky said there is no guarantee the amendment to outlaw will pass a second time.
"I think for the vast majority of Massachusetts citizens, life has not changed one iota," said Linsky. "Gay marriage has been a non-event, for the most part. For those small number of families able to get married, their lives have been improved greatly. A number of people are now eligible for health insurance, retirement benefits and hospital visitation. They've been able to be a legal family, and that's been an important step.
"There's no guarantee it will pass again, because many of the legislators who voted against it are not here anymore," he said. "A lot has changed in a year."
Mineau said the institute will support the amendment to ban same-sex marriage. "We plan to work closely with the Legislature to get ready for the constitutional convention as they make this important decision on this amendment," he said. He also said if the amendment fails, "we always have the citizen petition initiative option."
Ed Keating, 44, of Milford, who will also celebrate his first wedding anniversary with his husband Chris Gosselin, 32, on May 22, said last year's SJC ruling was a step forward for same-sex couples.
"I think this past year has been a step in the right direction," said Keating. "I haven't seen any of our friends' marriages disintegrate because we got married. Our marriage has not been detrimental to the institution of marriage.
"I am concerned with the conservative shift in this country but think a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage is a lot of noise."
Keating said same-sex couples have come a long way in the last year to be treated the same as traditional married couples.
"I recently read an obit on a Cambridge professor," said Keating. "The obit identified his partner as his husband. I found that very moving when I read that they recognized the man he left behind as his husband and didn't use a euphemism like 'life partner' or 'companion.' It was not odd or shameful for him to have a husband, because that's who he was.
"I felt nice about that."
http://www.milforddailynews.com/localRegional/view.bg?articleid=71173
"I never realized it when things had actually changed for us when I was in the hospital and Kate called the hospital to see how I was," said Goodnow.
"There were so many times before we were married, when one of us was in the hospital, we couldn't see each other and it was horrible," said Watson. "Last August when I called the hospital, the nurse at first said she could not allow me to know Joanne's condition.
"When I told her we were married, the nurse didn't doubt me at all and said OK. It was great. I felt so powerful and I was treated wonderfully. For so many years, I'd be worried about getting kicked out of the hospital."
On May 17, 2004, Carisa Cunningham, the director of Public Affairs of the Gay and Lesbian Advocates and Defenders (GLAD), in a Press release said 1,700 same-sex couples legally married for the first time in Massachusetts.
As the anniversary rolls around, Goodnow and Watson reflect back to what they call a "wonderful year." They recently celebrated being together as a couple for 38 years on March 18, 2005, and they will celebrate their first wedding anniversary on June 5.
Watson, 68, said she thinks the attitudes against same-sex marriage have changed in the past year.
"A lot more people come up to me now and say, 'What's the big deal,'" said Watson. "There were even a number of elderly people from our own generation saying how happy they were for us. There was nothing negative. It was an eye-opening year."
"It's been an eye-opening experience the way we've been accepted by so many people," said Goodnow, 69. "It's been a good year. I don't see where anything has changed in anyone's daily living. Massachusetts hasn't fallen off the Earth or gone into the sea."
Since the high court's ruling allowing same-sex marriage took effect May 17, approximately 5,000 same-sex marriage certificates have been filed with the Registry of Vital Records and Statistics, said Cunningham.
Rep. Marie Parente, D-Milford, said Massachusetts residents still should have the right to vote on the matter.
"I'm still hearing from people who still would like to vote on same-sex marriage on the ballot," said Parente. "We're a country of laws and we seem to be ignoring the people who want to vote. Instead, we're getting activist judges governing and legislating from the bench. I've seen a 150,000 petition to get this issue on the ballot ignored and the solution to this is to give the people what they want.
"Same-sex marriage hasn't really created a disruption, but people feel they've been left out of the process," she said. "It's wrong to rule from the bench."
Kris Mineau, president of the Massachusetts Family Institute, said May 17, 2004, was a sad day in American history.
"May 17th is a reminder of a dark day in Massachusetts history and our nation's history," said Mineau. "It's the second shot heard around the world brought on by the judicial tyranny by the Supreme Judicial Court."
Rep. David Linsky, D-Natick, said there is an amendment to outlaw same-sex marriage that has to be passed twice through a constitutional convention by legislators. The amendment passed by a narrow four votes last year. Linsky said on May 11, the convention was recessed to Wednesday, Aug. 24.
"I expect the vote to outlaw same-sex marriage to happen in the fall by the earliest," said Linsky. "If it passes a second time, it will go to a state ballot vote on November 2006."
Linsky said there is no guarantee the amendment to outlaw will pass a second time.
"I think for the vast majority of Massachusetts citizens, life has not changed one iota," said Linsky. "Gay marriage has been a non-event, for the most part. For those small number of families able to get married, their lives have been improved greatly. A number of people are now eligible for health insurance, retirement benefits and hospital visitation. They've been able to be a legal family, and that's been an important step.
"There's no guarantee it will pass again, because many of the legislators who voted against it are not here anymore," he said. "A lot has changed in a year."
Mineau said the institute will support the amendment to ban same-sex marriage. "We plan to work closely with the Legislature to get ready for the constitutional convention as they make this important decision on this amendment," he said. He also said if the amendment fails, "we always have the citizen petition initiative option."
Ed Keating, 44, of Milford, who will also celebrate his first wedding anniversary with his husband Chris Gosselin, 32, on May 22, said last year's SJC ruling was a step forward for same-sex couples.
"I think this past year has been a step in the right direction," said Keating. "I haven't seen any of our friends' marriages disintegrate because we got married. Our marriage has not been detrimental to the institution of marriage.
"I am concerned with the conservative shift in this country but think a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage is a lot of noise."
Keating said same-sex couples have come a long way in the last year to be treated the same as traditional married couples.
"I recently read an obit on a Cambridge professor," said Keating. "The obit identified his partner as his husband. I found that very moving when I read that they recognized the man he left behind as his husband and didn't use a euphemism like 'life partner' or 'companion.' It was not odd or shameful for him to have a husband, because that's who he was.
"I felt nice about that."
http://www.milforddailynews.com/localRegional/view.bg?articleid=71173