On May 17, 2004, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court ruled that it was unconstitutional to deny gay couples within the state the right to marry. Among the thousands who wed that day to celebrate their love and newfound liberties was Barbara Lenk, a judge who had spent more than a decade on the bench.
Almost seven years later, Lenk now finds herself close to becoming the SJC’s first openly gay justice to ever become a member of the Bay State’s highest court. This move by Gov. Deval Patrick shows his commitment to choosing the best candidates for the job, and his action should set an example for the rest of the country – no person should be denied his or her rightful opportunities according to whom they call their loved ones. Patrick should truly be lauded for this landmark decision.
Lenk’s nomination lends credence to a gay-marriage debate that has lost momentum as it has drifted out of the headlines. With defeats in California and other states, the gay-marriage movement has been tempered by set back after set back. However, with this nomination the movement will likely be thrust directly back into the spotlight.
The movement for gay marriage asks many of the same questions that were asked during other civil rights struggles – as many protestors pointed out during the Civil Rights movements of the 1950s and 60s, if an African-American man can serve in the military, does he not also have the right to sit wherever he wants on a bus? Does he not have the right to vote unobstructed by his government?
With the repeal of “don’t ask, don’t tell,” the same questions arise – is a gay individual has the right to die protecting his or her country, how can that same country deny that individual the right to wed? Recent polls also suggest that more Americans than ever support gay marriage. It’s time for the United States to finally recognize that marriage is a civil right that should be denied to no one.
Hopefully, Patrick’s action will help spur other states to take a stand for the rights of millions of Americans regardless of their sexuality.
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