In 2004, Massachusetts made headlines and LGBT history by becoming the first state to issue a marriage license to a same-sex couple. This action came after the November 2003 case of Goodridge v. Department of Public Health. The state’s Supreme Court made the decision that same-sex couples had every right to legally marry, and the result sent shockwaves through the country. It was also the first battle in the fight for marriage, a fight that has seen more and more states follow in Massachusetts’s footsteps.
But while it was the first to offer marriage, is Massachusetts really a great place for LGBT people to live? What would a gay or lesbian realtor have to say about the state? Most would absolutely say that moving to Massachusetts would be a great move for those who love the beautiful Northeastern climate and could find employment in the state.
Even though Massachusetts has seemed to fade into the background during the struggle for marriage equality, that doesn’t mean that strides weren’t still being made. While other states were debating the question and leaving LGBT residents uncertain as to their future, Massachusetts because a haven of sorts for those who did want to marry right away. In 2008, the state repealed the law that banned non-resident couples from marrying in Massachusetts if that marriage would be invalid in the couple’s home state. This led to a tidal wave of non-residents making the trip to the state to get married.
In 2012, the state supreme court ruled that civil unions were equivalent to a marriage. While not exactly groundbreaking, this did ensure that those in civil unions were treated the same as those who had officially gotten married.
Those in the real estate business know that Massachusetts banned discrimination based on sexual orientation in housing and in a number of other areas, including employment and union practices, back in 1989. In 2011, an executive order banned discrimination of transgender employees from all state offices and all contractors hired by those offices. In November of 2011, legislation banning discrimination on the basis of gender identity and gender expression in the areas of employment, housing, union practices, and in extending credit.
In 1990, Massachusetts removed all regulations preventing same-sex couples from adopting children, and since 1993, second-parent adoptions have been legal. The state has also had hate crime laws on the books since 1996.
As you can see, Massachusetts really has no need to make headlines regarding LGBT rights because it has quietly (or not so quietly) been a leader in the area for years.
