Five Years of Marriage Equality in Massachusetts

Hard to believe, but today marks the official five-year mark for marriage equality in Massachusetts.  On May 17, 2004, Cambridge, Massachusetts marked the first same-sex marriages in the country.  And though four years passed before another state recognized marriage equality, the last year has been a watershed year for gay and lesbian couples around the country.

And it all started five years ago today in Massachusetts.

Check out these lines from the AP:

The couples who led the fight to legalize gay marriage say their unions have been just like anyone else's. They raise children together, they buy homes together and they have their share of problems...

One of the couples, Rob Compton and David Wilson, said they have watched over the past five years as acceptance in their community has grown. Between them, they have five adult children from previous marriages, and six grandchildren under the age of 10.

"Once people started telling their personal stories, it really has changed the perception of what gay and lesbian couples look like, how they behave, how important they are to the families they're in," Wilson said.

All told, since the Bay State started to recognize marriage equality five years ago, more than 12,000 same-sex couples have married in Massachusetts.  Moreover, the Williams Institute at UCLA is out with a study this week (PDF) that shows the economic benefits Massachusetts has reaped by recognizing marriage equality.  Their findings?

• Massachusetts has attracted a creative class of highly-skilled workers - in fact, the study argues that young, highly-educated people were 2.5 times more likely to move to Massachusetts now because of the state's recognition of same-sex marriage;
• An average gay or lesbian couple spent more than $7,000 on their wedding in Massachusetts, with one in ten couples spending more than $20,000;
• All in all, the gay and lesbian wedding industry (from caterers to hotels, florists, churches, and many other businesses) raked in $111 million from same-sex marriages over the past five years.  That's a hefty number, especially during tough economic times.

And the best part?  The radical, right-wing opponents of marriage equality forecasted nothing but doom for children and families in Massachusetts when same-sex marriage became legal.  They're now left with significant egg on their face, as marriage equality has proved nothing but beneficial to Massachusetts.

So happy five years, Massachusetts.  Because of the foundation that Massachusetts set in place regarding marriage equality, other states around the country (one more this week, with the likely addition of New Hampshire) are now moving in the right direction to champion equality.