Massachusetts is calling.
It has been legal for same-sex couples to marry in the Bay State since 2004. In July, Massachusetts repealed an arcane law that had prohibited out-of-state couples from getting married there. Unfortunately, Proposition 8, which passed November 4, states that only a marriage between a man and a woman will be recognized in California, so you shouldn’t expect any legal rights when you return home after marrying in Massachusetts or Connecticut, which legalized gay marriage in October. But the press secretary for California Attorney General Jerry Brown, Christine Gasparac, told the Bay Area Reporter that the question of whether California would have to recognize out-of-state marriages would ultimately be an issue that the courts would likely decide.
Tourism officials in Massachusetts are embracing the state’s long-standing gay-friendly political climate and you should be hearing more about that soon. The state plans a promotional campaign to attract more LGBT visitors.
As the state’s capital and largest city, Boston will take center stage next year when the city hosts the 10th International Conference on Gay and Lesbian Tourism. Tourism officials in Boston are hoping that its reputation for being one of the gay-friendliest cities in the world will translate into more tourism dollars.
Source: http://www.ebar.com/news
