Political Notes
By Laura Kiritsy
Bay Windows Online
House Speaker Sal DiMasi has been on the side of gay rights since he went to Beacon Hill in 1979. And while the gay community has long supported the North End Democrat politically, he's received few formal public accolades for his work. But the Massachusetts Youth Activist Group for Equality (MY AGE), an organization looking to corral young people into politics has given DiMasi his due honoring him with its inaugural MY AGE Leadership Award at the Marriott Custom House on Jan. 22.
Speaking to Bay Windows prior to being presented with a gold pocket watch inlaid with a JFK half-dollar (MY AGE Founding Director Eric Georgi lauded DiMasi as a "profile in courage") DiMasi laughed off a question about whether it's about time he got some props. "Many of my constituents, and the gay community, have always supported me in the past on my campaigns and I'm very grateful for that," he says. So it's not how many awards that you get, it's the support that you get when you're running for office." Supporting gay rights wasn't exactly a politically popular position two decades ago, he notes, "so I appreciate all the help."
And speaking of help, does DiMasi, one of the most powerful men in legislature, see himself wielding any influence over the forthcoming vote on the initiative petition to put a ban on gay marriage before voters in 2008? "I think I've been effective already, on the last amendment," he observes with a smile. "So I think my presence there will have some impact." But he's quick to note that his clout only goes so far. "To be perfectly honest with you, the way the gay and lesbian community conducts themselves in our society has more of an impact that what I can do actually with the membership of my House," DiMasi says. The community's work to preserve marriage equality, the speaker adds, "makes our job in defeating this amendment a lot easier."
But Georgi, introducing DiMasi to the crowd of about 40, which included DiMasi's wife Debbie, state Sen. Jarrett Barrios, and state Reps. Alice Wolf and Marty Walz, hinted that DiMasi might have been downplaying his influence among his colleagues. Georgi recounted how he first met DiMasi on a weeklong trip to Israel that was sponsored by the Jewish Community Relations Council of Boston last August. When their talk turned to the marriage amendment that was scheduled to be taken up at the September 2005 constitutional convention, "he told me that he was going to come back and fix this thing for us," said Georgi, drawing a burst of laughter from DiMasi and his audience. "And he stomped it out pretty good for us."
On a more serious note, Georgi summed up MY AGE's decision to recognize DiMasi this way: For Sal it is simple. It's very simple. He knows that this issue is about our families and we love our families as much as he loves his," said Georgi. "And he knows that our families deserve the same rights and same protections as his family and that's why we're honoring him tonight."
Sciortino's award: Is it a gay thing?
Looks like state Rep. Carl Sciortino won't have to wait as long as House Speaker Sal DiMasi to get some gay kudos. The openly gay freshman lawmaker will be given the Freedom to Marry Coalition of Massachusetts' 2006 Freedom to Marry Award on Feb. 12 and he has yet to complete his first term.
Is it a gay thing? We know, of course, that couldn't be the case since discrimination based on sexual orientation is illegal in Massachusetts, thanks in no small part to none other than Sal DiMasi.
It's pretty safe to say that Sciortino is more than worthy of Freedom to Marry's recognition. His willingness to be an advocate for marriage equality helped him put anti-equality incumbent Vinnie Ciampa out of a job; he is effectively the embodiment of Freedom to Marry's mission to preserve marriage equality by enabling the LGBT community and its allies to stand up and speak for themselves about on the issue. "Carl really exemplifies what we're trying to advocate to our membership," says Freedom to Marry Co-Chair Rob Henry. "It requires people to step up and advocate for themselves and the way he carries himself is such a fine example to all of us." Of course, with his heartfelt speech at last year's ConCon and his vote against the Travaglini-Lees amendment, Sciortino became a powerful advocate not just for himself but for an entire community.
And Sciortino intends to accept the award on behalf of that community, who he says, have pretty much done the same work he's been doing. "I think the honor is really reflective not just of the work that I'm doing but the work of thousands of people across the state that have gotten involved in campaigns, politics and talking to their neighbors. I'll be accepting the award on behalf of those people, who really have put their heart and soul into speaking the message of equality and justice."
Yeah, but does he have a date for Freedom to Marry's Big Valentine's Day Dance at the Park Plaza, where he'll receive the award? "No comment," he says, laughing. "I will say that I do not have a ring on my finger but other than that, no comment."
Gays like Rice
No, not Condoleeza. Attorney Robert Rice of Gardner, a pro-equality candidate running in a special election for the 2nd Worcester District House seat formerly held by Brian Knuuttila, picked up an endorsement last week from the Freedom to Marry Coalition of Massachusetts. Rice, a Democrat, won the support of MassEquality the day after winning the Jan. 10 primary race for the Ashburnham-Ashby-Gardner-Royalston-Winchendon district. Rice is squaring off against Republican Jonathan Dennehy, an Ashburnham Selectman who does not support marriage equality, in the Feb. 7 general election.
Rice's candidacy offers a chance to pick up another pro-equality vote now that Knuuttila has relocated to a post at the Worcester County Sheriff's Department. "This is an opportunity to pick up a seat and increase the majority in the State House that supports marriage equality," says Freedom to Marry's Henry.
Rice says he's grateful for the endorsements, which have yielded campaign donations but no volunteers. But he's quick to add, "I didn't take the stand on the issue in order to garner endorsements. If the endorsements come separate and independent from that, that's fine. I welcome them."
But there's no question that Rice's strong support for marriage equality is a risky position in a district that leans conservative. Knuuttila, one of the most conservative Democrats in the House, was a popular legislator; prior to his election to the seat in 1997, the seat was held by a Republican. And though same-sex marriage has hardly been a burning issue in the race, Rice notes that it popped up in a recent candidate debate in Winchendon and that clearly, his inquisitor did not share Rice's views on the subject. On the other hand, the candidate says, "some people asked me at the beginning of the campaign where I stood and I must say that for the most part when people were asking me, those people were supportive of my position."
Either way, Rice stays on message: "My stock response is I'm in favor of gay marriage and I tell people that that the vote [against a pending amendment to ban same-sex marriage] is going to take me all of about 10 seconds to make," he says. "Then I've got work to do on a lot of other issues such as education and public safety local aid, etcetera, etcetera, etcetera."
