Senatorial candidate Elizabeth Warren and congressional candidate Joseph Kennedy III marched in the 42nd annual Boston Pride parade on Saturday, although they said there are still obstacles in the way for marriage equality.
Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick, Boston Mayor Thomas Menino and members of the Boston City Council attended the march for gay pride as well, which began in the Copley Square area and ended in City Hall Plaza.
Warren, a Democrat, told The Daily Free Press that if elected, she would move to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act, which she called not a defense but an offense against matrimonial equality.
“Here in Massachusetts, we have marriage equality,” she said, “but it’s not real marriage equality when the federal government separates our families and says some will be treated one way and some will be treated another.”
Warren, who recently accepted a string of debates against Massachusetts Sen. Scott Brown, told the Washington Blade in March that she wanted President Barack Obama to evolve his stance on marriage equality.
When Obama openly supported gay marriage in May, Warren tweeted that she was proud to stand with him in support of marriage equality.
Warren said “we’re going to do this together,” that is, the fight for marriage equality.
“This is not my race,” Warren said, “This is the race that belongs to the people of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and that’s what today’s parade was about.”
Kennedy recently received the endorsement of the Bay State Stonewall Democrats, a group that advocates for gay rights.
“I’m honored to be marching today with Congressman Frank, who’s been such a leader in LGBT rights for a generation,” Kennedy said to the Free Press in an interview.
He said Congressman Barney Frank has been an “incredible advisor” to him throughout his campaign.
Kennedy said although “no one could ever dream of filling [Frank’s] shoes,” he would still like to be a leader on these issues.
Although there are still issues for gay rights, he said, thousands of people lined the streets for the parade to show their support.
“You could feel the energy as you were walking through,” Kennedy said, “thanks in large part to the work of people like Congressman Frank.”
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