Gay Marriage Still OK in Massachusetts

In a huge victory for gay rights activists the state legislature of Massachusetts today defeated a proposed constitutional ban on gay marriage. This ends a three-year campaign to overturn the legalization of gay marriage.

The Boston Herald reports that the ban was defeated in a roll-call vote of both houses of the Legislature. This dramatic legislative battle ended with the thunderous applause of gay couples seated in the Senate House. The final vote tally was 151-45, a slim 5 point margin of victory for gay marriage supporters.

Massachusetts is currently the only state where same-sex unions are legal. Today’s vote means the ban will be blocked from reaching the 2008 ballot, allowing gay marriage to clear its first hurdle since it was legalized in a historic 2003 state court ruling. The 2003 decision ruled that a ban on gay marriage was unconstitutional that paved the way for the country's first same-sex marriages the next year. According to Reuters, over 8,000 gay and lesbian couples have been married since then.

The proposed ban was defeated due to a number of lawmakers changing their votes, though it is still unclear why they did so.

Today’s vote caused quite a stir at the State House both supporters and protesters surrounded the building to voice their opinion. Those in favor of the ban voiced their disapproval of the decision. Chants of “let the people vote” could be heard before and after the decision. George Howe, an opponent of same sex marriage told Reuters, “Everybody comes from a man and a woman. That’s the basic fundamental group or unit of society. People get caught up in man-man or woman-woman relationships, they are missing the point.” Opponents say they want an investigation into whether ethics were violated in the lobbying process to get some lawmakers to change their vote.

Those who favor the ban however, could not be happier. Lee Swislow, executive director of Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders, was reported as saying, by the Houston Chronicle, “We’re proud of our state today, and we applaud the Legislature for showing that Massachusetts is strongly behind fairness.”

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Britain's only gay bookshop faces threat of closure

ts fans claim it is far more than just a bookshop. Since Gay's the Word - the UK's only dedicated lesbian and gay bookshop - opened in 1979, it has acted as a social centre, information service and advice shop.

But the store on Marchmont Street, central London, is having to rally supporters, led by the literary heavyweights Sarah Waters, Edmund White and Ali Smith, after fewer visitors and falling revenue put its future at risk. Jim MacSweeney, the manager who has worked there since 1989, said: "We're an institution so people assume we're there forever. But if people don't use us, we won't be."

With reserves depleted, a board meeting heard last month that, if the shop carried on making losses at the current level, it would have to close within two months. A decision had to be taken on whether to shut down or go public and hope that saviours would ride to the rescue. They chose the latter route.

The valiant determination to press on is already seeing results - though with a long way to go to secure the £20,000 needed to stay open. "We've only just started writing to big names but already we have raised £3,500 by people sponsoring shelves. And people who haven't been here in ages have been coming in and buying books," said Mr MacSweeney. "Sales have doubled - and yesterday they were three times what they had been."

Turnover was running at around £160,000 a year until the bombings of 7 July 2005 when the shop's proximity to Tavistock Square, where a bus was blown up, hit takings by 14 per cent. "We only just cover our costs and make a small profit, so this had a huge effect on the business," said Mr MacSweeney. "Never mind that independent bookshops are struggling generally."

Its stock normally covers books that the mainstream stores do not cover, including imports from America. But when income fell, it became harder to maintain the kind of new and interesting stock which encouraged people to come back.

Yet the social function always remained. A lesbian discussion group meets every Wednesday evening and Mr MacSweeney spent part of yesterday talking to the mother of a 14-year-old boy who wanted advice.

Jake Arnott, 45, the author of The Long Firm and Johnny Come Home, said it was the advisory function as much as the literary one that would be missed if the shop were to close. "It would be terrible if Gay's the Word goes," he said. "It's a fantastic bookshop and it belongs there. Marchmont Street would lose something without it. Given the current circumstances for independent bookshops, it might be gone forever and there aren't any other solely lesbian and gay bookshops in the country.

"But it's so much more important than just a retail outlet in terms of people having somewhere they can go to find out [about lesbian and gay matters]. Sometimes going into a bar isn't a very warm and friendly experience. The social act of going into a bookshop and finding a book about oneself can be important."

For Mr Arnott's generation, Gay's the Word acted as an important political focus given that they grew up in a time when gay rights were under attack from measures such as the Section 28 legislation.

"If you see London now, people forget there was ever any kind of trouble. They forget that, if it hadn't been for Gay's the Word, they wouldn't be going to clubs and having such a good time," he said. "I think it should be subsidised by the Government."

Three other London bookshops under threat

* BOOKMARKS

Britain's leading independent socialist bookshop is struggling to compete with the large supermarkets, chain bookstores and high rent fees. It set up a fund-raising appeal to help keep it running and has received donations from customers and trade unions. Tony Benn describes the store, in Bloomsbury, London, as a "university for activists".

* HOUSMANS

This shop, which specialises in books and periodicals of radical interest and progressive politics, is also struggling, partly because of chainstore competition.

But it hopes that the regeneration of King's Cross, London, where it is based will cause an increase in customers. It is considering starting an appeal to help keep afloat.

* CALDER BOOKSHOP

John Calder, 80, who founded his legendary bookshop in Waterloo, London, in 1949, is now looking for a new owner in the face of a rent increase he cannot afford and a decline in interest in the type of controversial or avant-garde authors in which he has specialised.

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