Lieutenant Governor Karyn Polito, who a decade ago was one of the leading Republican lawmakers seeking to ban gay marriage, will officiate at state Senate President Stanley Rosenberg’s wedding to his domestic partner, according to people with knowledge of her decision.
Rosenberg, a liberal Democrat, is set to marry Bryon Hefner, his longtime partner, but his aides said no date has been set.
Polito’s role in the ceremony marks a further statement by her that she has cut her ties to the socially conservative wing of the Republican Party, a base she used to win elections as a state representative from her Shrewsbury-area district and for her campaign for state treasurer in 2010.
I can admit when I’m wrong—it happens rarely of course—but today is one of those days.
And no—this is not an April Fool’s joke.
I’m here today to thank Karyn Polito—because I was wrong about her.
It was announced today in the Globe that the Lt. Gov. will be the officiant at Senate President Stan Rosenberg’s upcoming wedding to his longtime partner Bryon Hefner.
That’s friggin’ amazing folks.
We have spent the decades in Massachusetts—and across this country—trying to change hearts and minds on LGBT rights. And we have been and continue to be successful.
Thirty-seven states now have marriage; DADT is repealed; and SCOTUS has a gay marriage case before it that 300 Republicans submitted an amicus brief in support of—including Gov. Charlie Baker and Lt. Governor Karyn Polito. And now a wedding conducted by our Lt. Gov. who is now one of my poster-children for how hearts and minds are won in our struggle for rights.
Progress.
However, since this story ran 24 hours ago, I’ve heard nothing but murmurings, snide comments, and condemnation of Lt. Gov Politio, Stan, and Bryon.
Are you freakin’ kidding me people? Grow up.
One of the great Achilles Heels of our movement, is that we continually remind people AFTER they have made the right decision to support gay marriage/LGBT rights, etc. that they were once against us. We hold it over the heads forever and point fingers and say things like, “Well in 1998 he voted for x and that was anti-gay!
Additionally, when people change—especially those that were stridently anti-gay for so long—we tend to be forever skeptical of them—like their anti-gay wolves hiding under pro-gay rainbow flags.
This is how we reward progress and support those that have changed their hearts and minds?
Yes, I know, Polito is not there yet on the last piece of Transgender Civil Rights: the public accommodations bill. However, isn’t this a great venue for starting the dialogue towards getting her there?
Point of Order: about 99% of people that now support gay marriage haven’t been supportive for that long including:
- • Our President – Barack Obama (announced in 5/2012)
- • Almost every prominent Democratic and Republican leader in Massachusetts for the two decades before gay marriage was legalized in Massachusetts in 2003. (Actually a good majority of them did not until the final votes that killed the constitutional amendment in 2007.)
We tend to forgive Democrats more for not being onboard with the gay rights train—except if you are Cong. Stephen Lynch or Boston City Councilor Stephen Murphy. They’ll never hear the end of their votes back in the 1990s.
If you are a Massachusetts Republican though—fuhgeddaboudit!
Instead of celebrating their leadership and attempting to move the party forward on LGBT rights or praising them for changing their hearts and minds amidst extreme resistance from their own party even today, we throw out the ‘ole: “Well, he voted for that anti-gay bill back in 1992—he cant be trusted!” (ala Richard Tisei—of which I am guilty).
How about the fact that those relationships that were established with those who came over to be pro-gay votes were also utilized to get co-sponsorships on the Transgender Civil Rights bill?
Give the woman some breathing room and some time.
A lot of people weren’t there from the beginning.
A lot of people helped the Christian Coalition, Mass. Family Institute, and other groups that worked against LGBT rights.
A lot of people stood in the way of our rights and wanted to keep us second class citizens.
However, hearts and minds have been changed in the right direction.
While it might not be all the way there on everything, dialogue has begun.
Let’s celebrate progress.
We are a lot further down the road with her than we were six months ago.
So, let’s stop attacking her for not being all the way there—and talk to her about why she should be there and help her get there.
I have absolutely no reason to doubt the sincerity of her obviously personal decision to support gay marriage
We need to respect her and her decision—and help her and Charlie Baker get to where we need them to be on public accommodations.
I thank her for her discernment—and so should you.
Furthermore, we need to respect the fact that two men who love each other very much are going to get married.
On the most sacred day of their respective lives, they have asked Lt. Gov. Polito to officiate. And I think that that is completely and utterly awesome!
This is not a time for snickering or backstabbing comments or condemnation.
This is a time of celebration!
This is what we’ve been working so hard for so many years!
Congratulations to Stan and Bryan!
Mazel Tov my friends!
May your wedding day be bright and gay!
