TakeMassActtion

2007-06-14T22:39:00.000-07:00

Constitutional Convention

June 14, 2007

The morning of the Constitutional Convention, the Religious Coalition for the Freedom to Marry sponsored an Interfaith service followed by a march across Boston Common to the State House. Throughout the day, supporters and opponents of same-sex marriage demonstrated in front of the State House. There were rallies inside and outside the building after the vote to protect marriage equality.

Visit TakeMassAction.com for more information.

Click here to see pictures from the Constitutional Convention.

Religious Coalition for the Freedom to Marry Interfaith Service before the Constitutional Convention

RCFM Starts Marching to the State House

RCFM Marching Across Boston Common Being Welcomed by Pro-Equality Demonstrators at the State House

Singing on the Steps of the State House

Pro-Equality Demonstrators Outside the State House

Anti-Gay Marriage Protesters

This is What Equality Looks Like

Constitutional Conventions Begins - Time to Vote

Crowd Cheers as Senator Morrissey Votes No

Hundreds of Pro-Equality Supporters Erupt with Joy as the Vote is Announced and the Anti-gay Marriage Amendment is Defeated

Governor Deval Patrick Speaks After the Vote

House Speaker Sal DiMasi Speaks After the Vote

Governor Deval Patrick "Equality"

Pro-Equality Supporters Sing Star-Spangled Banner After Winning the Vote

Governor Deval Patrick Speaks at the Rally Outside the State House

Click here to see pictures from the Constitutional Convention.

2007-06-14T18:05:00.000-07:00

Constitutional Convention

June 14, 2007

There was a small vigil on the steps of the State House the night before the Constitutional Convention. In the morning, the Religious Coalition for the Freedom to Marry led an Interfaith service followed by a march across Boston Common to the State House. Throughout the day, supporters and opponents of same-sex marriage demonstrated in front of the State House. There were rallies inside and outside the building after the vote to protect marriage equality.

Visit TakeMassAction.com for more information.

(Click on any photo to make it larger.)

Click here to see videos from the Constitutional Convention.

(Photos 47-53, 57, 65-67 credit: Merfy)

Click here to see videos from the Constitutional Convention.

2007-06-10T19:09:00.001-07:00

Dyke March 2007
Click on any photo to make it larger.
(Videos at the bottom)

2007-06-09T21:13:00.001-07:00

Boston Pride 2007
Click on any photo to make it larger.

2007-06-01T16:23:00.000-07:00

2007-05-21T09:38:00.001-07:00

2007-05-21T08:26:00.001-07:00

2007-05-21T07:24:00.001-07:00

2007-05-21T07:16:00.000-07:00

2007-02-28T12:31:00.000-08:00

Protest Pictures

2006-11-19T14:10:00.000-08:00

Protest against Mitt Romney's anti-gay rally.
Click on any photo to make it larger.
(Go here to watch the videos)

Richard boos Mitt Romney

Our State House was covered with bigots

MassResistance hates Romney too!

This guy is very angry that he lost

Amy "Miss MassResistance" and Brian Camenker

Kris Mineau, President of Mass Family Institute

Amy taking my picture

Brian taking my picture (they love me)

Brain Camenker of MassResistance

Marriage = one bathroom sign man + one bathroom sign woman

Vote on Civil Rights?

Mitt's last stand

Patriotic kiss

More signs

Love is....

Thank you Massachusetts!

Hey Mitt

Mirror

Let the people vote...on civil rights?

This woman is pissed at me because she can't vote on my rights

Rainbow flags!

Hatred is ugly!

(Go here to watch the videos)

Rally on Sunday

2006-10-11T13:49:00.001-07:00

The Family Research Council will be holding their gay bashing event, "Liberty Sunday" on October 15th at Tremont Temple. This event will include a national broadcast from Boston to homes all across America.

Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council, had this to say about Massachusetts:
"This is the source of the problem...this is the origin of the immediate threat of same-sex marriage to the nation.”

In the anti-gay promotion video for the event, Perkins and a few bay state conservatives take aim at the LGBT community. They don't just want to end same-sex marriage, they want to destroy our community and send us all back into the closet.

Mitt Romney's wife will be speaking at the event. She will be introducing a video featuring him and other local politicians talking about “how same-sex marriage and how the homosexual agenda has impacted religious liberties in Massachusetts and around the country”.

QueerToday is reporting that the LGBT community and allies will be holding a peaceful prayer vigil and rally across the street from the Tremont Temple "Liberty Sunday" event. Senator Jarrett Barrios will join local clergy, activists, and community members at the event.

Pray Vigil and Rally
6:30PM
Tremont Temple
88 Tremont Street
Boston

The event is being organized by the Religious Coalition for Freedom to Marry and the Arlington Street Church's Social Action Committee. There will be a few speakers to rally the crowd outside. Boston has a long history of standing up against oppression. We must continue that tradition by attending the rally this Sunday. Be there at 6:30pm and bring your friends. Let's show the radical right how we do it in Massachusetts.

Donate to Deval

2006-10-04T11:34:00.000-07:00

Donate to Deval’s campaign today using his “GLBT for Deval” page.
This way he knows that the money being donated is from the gay community. Deval supports our community; let's make sure he knows that our community supports him.

There is a reception for Deval hosted by friends and members of the LGBT community with an introduction by special guest speaker Congressman Barney Frank. Donate to Deval today and attend the event on October 12th.

Thank You

2006-09-30T21:29:00.000-07:00

Thank you for signing up to receive TakeMassAction Email Alerts!

Go back to our home page here.

Boston Area

2006-09-29T22:34:00.000-07:00

If you live in the Boston area and have transportation I encourage you to travel to one of the nearby campaigns listed here. Equal rights are worth a short drive. You can even enjoy that fall foliage during the 30 minute drive to protect LGBT equality.

If you live in the Boston area and do not have transportation I encourage you to visit MassEquality Headquarters. MassEquality is involved in campaigns for pro-equality candidates all across the state. Come in and help out.

MassEquality Headquaters:
11 Beacon Street
Suite 1125
Boston, MA 02108
617-878-2300

Central Massachusetts

2006-09-29T15:40:00.000-07:00

House - 37th Middlesex (Acton, Boxborough, Harvard, Lunenburg, Shirley)
James Eldridge (D) - incumbent
Kevin Hayes (R) - challenger
Campaign website: www.RepEldridge.com
Campaign phone number: 508-274-0055

James Eldridge has been an outspoken supporter of LGBT rights from his first day in office. He has been a leader in the movement for marriage equality. His opponent is already attacking him for his strong support of LGBT rights. Please contact the Eldridge campaign to find out what you can do to help James get re-elected.

House - 10th Worcester (Milford, Mendon, Hopedale)
John Fernandes (D)
Robert Burns (R)
Campaign website: www.JohnFernandes.org
Campaign phone number: 508-473-3063

This seat was represented by Marie Parente. She just lost in the Democratic primary to John Fernandes. Marie was a leading opponent of LGBT rights for 20 years. She has opposed basic civil rights for gays and lesbians, adoption rights, and marriage rights. Her loss is a huge gain for the gay community. Now we need to make sure that John Fernandes beats his Republican opponent in November. John has pledged to protect equal marriage rights for gay and lesbians. Please contact the Fernandes campaign to find out what you can do to help John get elected.

Cape Cod

2006-09-29T14:50:00.001-07:00

House - 1st Barnstable (Brewster, Dennis, Yarmouth)
Cleon Turner (D) - incumbent
Dick Neitz (R) - challenger
Campaign website: www.CleonTurner06.com
Campaign phone number: 508-362-1696

Cleon Turner is a true believer in equality for LGBT people. He has fought for LGBT issues in and out of office. Cleon is currently serving his first term at the State House. His opponent is the same man who ran against him two years ago. His opponent is very anti-gay and has compared having a relationship with someone of the same sex to having a relationship with "a cat or a dog". Please contact the Turner campaign to find out what you can do to help Cleon get re-elected.

House - 4th Barnstable (Chatham, Eastham, Orleans, Provincetown, Truro, Wellfleet)
Sarah Peake (D)
Aaron Malloy (R)
Campaign website: www.SarahPeake.org
Campaign phone number: 508-487-5694

This seat was represented by Shirley Gomes, a Republican who is retiring this year. Shirley is an opponent of LGBT rights. Sarah Peake is a Selectman in Provincetown. She is an out lesbian. If elected, Sarah would fight hard for the LGBT community. Her opponent is also openly gay. Sadly though, he opposes equal rights for LGBT people. Please contact the Peake campaign to find out what you can do to help Sarah get elected.

Western Massachusetts

2006-09-29T14:49:00.000-07:00

House - 3rd Hampden (Agawam, Southwick, Russell, Granville, Springfield)
Rosemary Sandlin (D)
Robert Magovern (R)
Owen Broadhurst (J)
Campaign website: www.RoseSandlin.com
Campaign phone number: 413-786-7600

This seat was represented by Daniel Keenan, a Democrat who is retiring this year. Daniel was an outspoken opponent of LGBT rights. We need to make sure Rosemary Sandlin is elected in November. She would be an excellent legislator and friend to the gay community. After all, she has two gay sons. Her Republican opponent is against LGBT equality, and is praised by the anti-gay group MassResistance. Her green-rainbow party opponent is a champion of LGBT rights. He is openly gay and a strong supporter of equal marriage rights. Check out his website for more information. Please contact the Sandlin campaign to find out what you can do to help Rosemary get elected.

South of Boston

2006-09-29T14:47:00.000-07:00

House - 12th Bristol (New Bedford, Middleborough, Lakeville, Freetown)
Steve Canessa (D) - incumbent
Mark Howlend (U) - challenger
Campaign website: www.SteveCanessa.com
Campaign phone number:

Steve Canessa has only been in office for two years. He beat Mark Howlend in the Democratic primary two years ago. Now Mark is trying to get his seat back by running as an independent. Steve is in his early 20s and has been a strong supporter of equal marriage rights. Please contact the Canessa campaign to find out what you can do to help Steve get re-elected.

House - 7th Plymouth (Abington, East Bridgewater, Whitman)
Allen McCarthy (D)
Andrew Burbine (R)
Campaign website: www.AllenMcCarthy.com
Campaign phone number: 781-447-1004

This seat was represented by Kathy Teehan, a Democrat who is retiring this year. Kathy was a tireless advocate of LGBT rights. She has endorsed Allen McCathy to replace her. Allan has pledged to carry on Kathy's legacy of being a strong champion of LGBT rights. Please contact the McCarthy campaign to find out what you can do to help Allan get elected.

House - 1st Bristol (Foxborough, Mansfield, Norton)
Claire Naughton (D)
Jay Barrows (R)
Campaign website: www.ClaireNaughton.com
Campaign phone number: 508-339-9800

This seat was represented by Virginia Coppola, a Republican who is retiring this year. Virginia is an opponent of LGBT rights. She was elected after her husband died last year. Claire Naughton was a school teacher for 31 years. She is a staunch supporter of LGBT rights. She has this to say on her website: "Claire supports the ruling of the Supreme Judicial Court expanding marriage rights to all couples. Claire will oppose any effort to write discrimination into our State Constitution." Please contact the Naughton campaign to find out what you can do to help Claire get elected.

House - 4th Bristol (Rehoboth, Seekonk, Swansea)
Steve D'Amico (D)
Steve Howitt (R)
Campaign website: www.SDamico.com
Campaign phone number: 508-336-9192

This seat was represented by Phil Travis, a Democrat who is retiring this year. Phil Travis was the leader of the anti-gay rights movement in the legislature. Steve D'Amico supports LGBT equality in every way. It would be huge for him to take over this seat. His opponent has flip-flopped in the issue of same-sex marriage. At first he was for marriage equality, now he is against it. Please contact the D'Amico campaign to find out what you can do to help Steve get elected.

House - 10th Worcester (Milford, Mendon, Hopedale)
John Fernandes (D)
Robert Burns (R)
Campaign website: www.JohnFernandes.org
Campaign phone number: 508-473-3063

This seat was represented by Marie Parente. She just lost in the Democratic primary to John Fernandes. Marie was a leading opponent of LGBT rights for 20 years. She has opposed basic civil rights for gays and lesbians, adoption rights, and marriage rights. Her loss is a huge gain for the gay community. Now we need to make sure that John Fernandes beats his Republican opponent in November. John has pledged to protect equal marriage rights for gay and lesbians. Please contact the Fernandes campaign to find out what you can do to help John get elected.

North of Boston

2006-09-29T14:46:00.000-07:00

House - 18th Essex (Andover, Boxford, Haverhill)
Barbara L'Italien (D) - incumbent
Lawrence Brennan (R) - challenger
Campaign website: www.BarbaraLItalien.com
Campaign phone number: 978-409-1818

Barbara L'Italien is one of the most dedicated leaders we have in the campaign to protect LGBT rights in Massachusetts. She is an ally and a true friend to the LGBT community. Her opponent is attacking her for her outspoken support of LGBT issues. He calls her strong leadership in the fight for marriage equality a "disgrace". Barbara's opponent is getting very nasty in his attacks on her. An example of this is in addition to his own website, he also has a website at www.BeatBarb.com. Please contact the L'Italien campaign to find out what you can do to help Barbara get re-elected.

House - 37th Middlesex (Acton, Boxborough, Harvard, Lunenburg, Shirley)
James Eldridge (D) - incumbent
Kevin Hayes (R) - challenger
Campaign website: www.RepEldridge.com
Campaign phone number: 508-274-0055

James Eldridge has been an outspoken supporter of LGBT rights from his first day in office. He has been a leader in the movement for marriage equality. His opponent is already attacking him for his strong support of LGBT rights. Please contact the Eldridge campaign to find out what you can do to help James get re-elected.

2006 Campaigns

2006-09-28T11:11:00.000-07:00

South of Boston

North of Boston

Central Massachusetts

House - 10th Worcester (Milford, Mendon, Hopedale)
John Fernandes (D)
Robert Burns (R)
Campaign website: www.JohnFernandes.org
Campaign phone number: 508-473-3063

This seat was represented by Marie Parente. She just lost in the Democratic primary to John Fernandes. Marie was a leading opponent of LGBT rights for 20 years. She has opposed basic civil rights for gays and lesbians, adoption rights, and marriage rights. Her loss is a huge gain for the gay community. Now we need to make sure that John Fernandes beats his Republican opponent in November. John has pledged to protect equal marriage rights for gay and lesbians. Please contact the Fernandes campaign to find out what you can do to help John get elected.

Cape Cod

House - 4th Barnstable (Chatham, Eastham, Orleans, Provincetown, Truro, Wellfleet)
Sarah Peake (D)
Aaron Malloy (R)
Campaign website: www.SarahPeake.org
Campaign phone number: 508-487-5694

This seat was represented by Shirley Gomes, a Republican who is retiring this year. Shirley is an opponent of LGBT rights. Sarah Peake is a Selectman in Provincetown. She is an out lesbian. If elected, Sarah would fight hard for the LGBT community. Her opponent is also openly gay. Sadly though, he opposes equal rights for LGBT people. Please contact the Peake campaign to find out what you can do to help Sarah get elected.

Western Massachusetts

House - 3rd Hampden (Agawam, Southwick, Russell, Granville, Springfield)
Rosemary Sandlin (D)
Robert Magovern (R)
Owen Broadhurst (J)
Campaign website: www.RoseSandlin.com
Campaign phone number: 413-786-7600

This seat was represented by Daniel Keenan, a Democrat who is retiring this year. Daniel was an outspoken opponent of LGBT rights. We need to make sure Rosemary Sandlin is elected in November. She would be an excellent legislator and friend to the gay community. After all, she has two gay sons. Her Republican opponent is against LGBT equality, and is praised by the anti-gay group MassResistance. Her green-rainbow party opponent is a champion of LGBT rights. He is openly gay and a strong supporter of equal marriage rights. Check out his website for more information. Please contact the Sandlin campaign to find out what you can do to help Rosemary get elected.

Primary Election Results and Analysis

2006-09-20T12:42:00.000-07:00

This is my analysis of the primary elections. I have used the same format as the MassResistance election analysis to make it easy to compare. I am only analyzing the primary races here. (Green means they are pro-gay rights. Red means they are anti-gay rights.) The projected winners are who I thought would win. Under that is the actual winners.

INCUMBENTS challenged in primaries (14 races):
If the incumbent rep is good and they were re-elected I will call it a "save". If the incumbent rep is good and they lost to a bad candidate I will call it a "lost". If the incumbent rep is bad and they lost to a good candidate I will call it a "pick-up". If the incumbent rep is bad and they were re-elected I will call it as "no change".

House - 12th Essex (Peabody)
D - Joyce Spiliotis, 85 Gardner St., Peabody
D - Sean R. Fitzgerald, 6 Elaine Ave., Peabody
Projected Winner: Joyce Spiliotis - NO CHANGE
Actual Winner: Joyce Spiliotis - NO CHANGE

House - 5th Suffolk (Boston/Dorchester)
D - Marie St. Fleur, 45 Hartford St., Boston
D - Severiano Cruz, 38 Dacia St., Boston
D - Roy Owens, 6 Woodville St., Boston
Projected Winner: Marie St. Fleur - SAVE
Actual Winner: Marie St. Fleur - SAVE

House - 10th Worcester (Milford/Mendon/Hopedale)
D - Marie J. Parente, 13 Reagan Rd., Milford
D - John V. Fernandes, 320 Purchase St., Milford
Projected Winner: Marie Parente - NO CHANGE
Actual Winner: John Fernandes - PICK UP (This is HUGE! At first Fernandes said that he wanted to "let the people vote" on marriage. But he recently stated that he believes that same-sex couples deserve the right to marry and that he will vote against any amendment to the constitution that would deny those rights. Marie Perente has in office for 20 years. She has been one of the gay community's biggest opponents on every issue we have faced. The anti-gay groups must be crying over her lost!)

House - 12th Norfolk (Norwood/Walpole)
D - John H. Rogers, 194 Plantation Cir., Norwood
D - Leah C. O'Leary, 13 Devon Rd., Norwood
Projected Winner: John Rogers - SAVE
Actual Winner: John Rogers - SAVE

House - 11th Hampden (Springfield)
D - Benjamin Swan, 837 State St., Springfield
D - Larry Lawson, 484 Hancock St., Springfield
D - Norman W. Oliver, 377 St. James Ave., Springfield
Projected Winner: Ben Swan - SAVE
Actual Winner: Ben Swan - SAVE

House - 13th Bristol (New Bedford)
D - Antonio F.D. Cabral, 212 Maple St., New Bedford
D - Brian K. Gomes, 66 Clara St., New Bedford
Projected Winner: Antonio Cabral - SAVE
Actual Winner: Antonio Cabral - SAVE

House - 16th Worcester (Worcester)
D - John P. Fresolo, 25 Dolly Dr., Worcester
D - Melissa J. Murgo, 179 Delmont Ave., Worcester
Projected Winner: John Fresolo - NO CHANGE
Actual Winner: John Fresolo - NO CHANGE

House - 8th Worcester (Webster/Uxbridge/Dudly)
D - Paul Kujawski, 71 Klebart Ave., Webster
D - Mark G. Dowgiewicz, 16 Reid Smith Cove Rd., Webster
Projected Winner: Paul Kujawski - NO CHANGE
Actual Winner: Paul Kujawski - NO CHANGE

House - 9th Essex (Lynn/Saugus/Lynnfield)
D - Mark V. Falzone, 9 Broadway, Saugus
D - Sean P. Grant, 485 Central St., Saugus
Projected Winner: Mark Falzone - SAVE
Actual Winner: Mark Falzone - SAVE (Mark beat his opponent with 60% of the vote. MassResistance had sent out a mailing for the anti-gay challenger. But, once again, MassResistance has lost!)

House - 7th Bristol (Fall River)
D - Robert Correia, 1290 Plymouth Ave., Fall River
D - Kevin Aguiar, 48 Coral St., Fall River
D - John J. Rodrigues, 36 Lenox St., Fall River
Projected Winner: Robert Correia - NO CHANGE
Actual Winner: Robert Correia - NO CHANGE

House - 4th Berkshire (Pittsfield/Lenox)
D - William "Smitty" Pignatelli, 339 Housatonic St., Lenox
D - Patrick Long, 84 Alford Rd., Great Barrington
Projected Winner: William “Smitty” Pignatelli - SAVE
Actual Winner: William “Smitty” Pignatelli - SAVE

Senate - First Worcester (Worcester/Boylston/Holden)
D - Harriette L. Chandler, 97 Aylesbury Rd., Worcester
D - Deirdre Healy, 963 Pleasant St., Worcester
Projected Winner: Harriette Chandler - SAVE
Actual Winner: Harriette Chandler - SAVE

Senate - Fourth Middlesex (Arlington/Billerica/Burlington)
D - Robert A. Havern, III, 35 Bartlett Ave., Arlington
D - Joanna Gonsalves, 16 Lexington St., Woburn
Projected Winner: Robert Havern - SAVE
Actual Winner: Robert Havern - SAVE

Senate - Second Suffolk (Boston)
D - Dianne Wilkerson, Boston (write-in candidate)
D - Sonia Chang-Diaz, Boston (write-in candidate)
R and D - Samiyah Diaz, Boston (write-in candidate)
Projected Winner: Dianne Wilkerson - SAVE
Actual Winner: Dianne Wilkerson - SAVE

OPEN SEATS - Incumbents not running again (12 races):
This is where we really picked up some votes! I will mark the out-going reps as either red or green so you can see where we picked up votes. If the out-going rep is good and we elected a good candidate, I will call it a "save". If the out-going rep is good and we elected a bad candidate, I will call it a "lost". If the out-going rep is bad and we elected a good candidate to replace them, I will call it a "pick-up". If the out-going rep is bad and we elected another bad candidate, I will call it as "no change".

House - 15th Essex ( Methuen)
OUT-GOING: Rep. Arthur Broadhurst (D)
D - Linda Dean Campbell, 42 Sugar Pine Ln., Methuen
D - Edward F. Curran, 7 Cypress Ave., Methuen
D - Christopher DiBella, 4 Bumpy Ln., Methuen
D - Michael W. Hennessy, 9 Stevens St., Methuen
Projected Winner: Christopher DiBella - SAVE (Tough to call. I am hoping it is DiBella. My second guess would be Linda Dean Campbell)
Actual Winner: Linda Dean Campbell - LOST (This is a sad loss and very personal for me. I ran the DiBella GOTV campaign on election day. We got all of his votes out, but it just wasn't enough. We expected 4000 people to vote. Instead, there was record turnout in Methuen. 6000 people turned out to vote. We lost by 192 votes.)

House - 3rd Hampden (Agawam)
OUT-GOING: Rep. Daniel Keenan (D)
D - Carley R. Johnson, Jr., 135 Country Rd., Agawam
D - Joseph Mineo, 33 Maple Meadows Ln., Agawam
D - Rosemary Sandlin, 90 Granger Dr., Agawam
Projected Winner: Rosemary Sandlin - PICK-UP
Actual Winner: Rosemary Sandlin - PICK-UP

House - 28th Middlesex (Everett/Malden)
OUT-GOING: Rep. Ed Connolly - deceased (D)
D - Frank Nuzzo, Jr., 20 Evelyn Rd., Everett
D - Stephen Stat Smith, 53 Clarence St., Everett
D - Rosemary Miller (write-in candidate)
Projected Winner: Stat Smith - PICK-UP
Actual Winner: Stat Smith - PICK-UP

House - 6th Suffolk (Mattapan/Roxbury)
OUTGOING: Rep. Shirley Owens-Hicks (D)
D - Willie Mae Allen, 85 Deering Rd., Boston
D - William R. Celester, Sr., 115 Hazleton St., Boston
Projected Winner: I have no idea. They are both good on our issues. - PICK-UP
Actual Winner: Willie Mae Allen - PICK UP

House - 6th Worcester (Southbridge/Charlton/Spencer)
OUT-GOING: Rep. Mark Carron (D)
D - Geraldo Alicea, 13 Deer Run, Charlton
D - Patrick J. Driscoll, 35 Donnelly Rd., Spencer (openly gay)
D - Scott S. Lazo, 36 Ellis Rd., Southbridge
D - Joanne E. Powell, 15 Dodge Ln., Charlton
D - Karen A. Spiewak, 90 Osgood Rd., Charlton
Projected Winner: Joanne Powell - NO CHANGE (This one is very tough to call. I would love to see Pat Driscoll win, but his campaign is not very strong. I really hope that I am wrong about this one.)
Actual Winner: Geraldo Alicea - NO CHANGE (This was a surprise to me. Alicea has said that he wants the people to vote. But it is possible for us to change his vote. At least Powell didn't win. She was horrible. So this is not too bad)

House - 12th Hampden (Springfield/Wilbraham)
OUT-GOING: Rep. Gale Candaras (D)
D - Angelo J. Puppolo, Jr., 44 South Shore Dr., Springfield
D - Jim Driscoll, East Longmeadow (write-in candidate)
Projected Winner: Angelo Puppolo - NO CHANGE (The write-in candidate does have a small chance here. If he turns his campaign around in the next two weeks we could see a pick-up. This is not likely though.)
Actual Winner: Angelo Puppolo - NO CHANGE

House - 3rd Worcester (Fitchburg)
OUT-GOING: Rep. Emile Goguen (D)
D - Stephen L. DiNatale, 150 Walton St., Fitchburg
D - David P. Leblanc, 30 Silver St., Fitchburg
D - Mary H. Whitney, 12 Pine St., Fitchburg
Projected Winner: Stephen DiNatale - PICK-UP
Actual Winner: Stephen DiNatale - PICK-UP

House - 1st Bristol (Foxborough/Mansfield/Norton)
OUT-GOING: Rep. Virginia Coppola (R)
D - Matthew J. Donovan, 101 M Chestnut St., Foxborough
D - Paul R. Feeney, 182 North St., Foxborough
D - Claire B. Naughton, 4 Everett Ln., Foxborough
Projected Winner: Clair Naughton - PICK UP
Actual Winner: Clair Naughton - PICK UP

House - 4th Barnstable (Cape Cod)
OUT-GOING: Rep. Shirley Gomes (R)
D - Ronald J. Bergstrom, 1347 Old Queen Anne Rd., Chatham
D - Raymond C. Gottwald, 38 Huckleberry Path, Harwich (openly gay)
D - Sarah K. Peake, 7 Center St., Provincetown (openly gay)
R - Andrew G. Buckley, 202 Lime Hill Rd., Chatham
R - Donald F. Howell, 14 Haskell Ln., Harwich
R - Aaron R. Maloy, 81A Finlay Rd., Orleans (openly gay)
Projected Winner in the Democratic Primary: Sarah Peake - PICK-UP
Projected Winner in the Republican Primary: Don Howell - PICK-UP (Howell is pro-equality and pro-choice. This race is very interesting. There are three openly gay candidates. However, one of the gay candidates is republican that is anti-gay, anti-equality and anti-choice.)
Actual Winner: Sarah Peake - PICK-UP
Actual Winner: Aaron Maloy - NO CHANGE (I am VERY surprised to see that Maloy won this race. He is openly gay and totally anti-gay. Now we will see the pro-gay lesbian Democrat face off against the openly gay anti-gay Republian. This is a crazy race! I am excited now though because I organize on Cape Cod and I will get to take down this gay-hating-gay. I am counting this one as a PICK-UP because Peake will beat Maloy in November.)

House - 4th Bristol (Rehoboth/Seekonk)
OUT-GOING: Rep. Philip Travis (D)
D - Nicholas D. Bernier, 494 Sharps Lot Rd., Swansea
D - Steven J. D'Amico, 81 Briarwood Dr., Seekonk
D - Robert A. Marquis, 298 Vinnicum Rd., Swansea
D - John W. Whelan, 15 Woodward Ave., Seekonk
Projected Winner: Steve D’Amico - PICK UP
Actual Winner: Steve D’Amico - PICK UP

Senate - Berkshire, Hampshire & Franklin (Pittsfield/North Adams)
OUTGOING: Sen. Andrea Nuciforo (D)
D - Benjamin Brackett Downing, 123 Pomeroy Ave., Pittsfield
D - Christopher Hodgkins, 100 Franklin St., Lee
D - Helen Sharron, 343 Huntington Rd., Worthington
D - Margaret Johnson Ware, 24 Moorland St., Williamstown
D - John T. Zelazo, 22 Summit Ave., Adams
Projected Winner: No matter who wins: - SAVE (I don't know anything about this race but I would like to see Christopher Hodgkins win.)
Actual Winner: Benjamin Brackett Downing - SAVE (This race was decided by just a couple hundred votes. I am very happy with the result. Benjamin will be great.)

Senate - First Hampden & Hampshire (Springfield/East Longmeadow)
OUT-GOING: Sen. Brian Lees (R)
D - Brian Michael Ashe, 107 Belleclaire Ave., Longmeadow
D - Rep. Gale D. Candaras, 643 Tinkham Rd., Wilbraham
D - Rosemarie Mazza-Moriarty, 95 Osborne Ter., Springfield
Projected Winner: Gale Candaras - LOSE (This is considered a lose because Candaras voted against us when she was in the House. However, we might be able to convince her to be with us in the future. Hopefully this will end up being a save.)
Actual Winner: Gale Candaras - LOST (Let's keep woring to bring Candaras over to our side.)

This is the result of the primary elections:

We SAVED 10 pro-equality incumbents
We saw NO CHANGE in 6 anti-equality seats
We PICKED-UP 8 pro-equality seats previously held by anti-equality reps (This is HUGE!)
We LOST 2 open-seats to an anti-equality candidates (who we might be able to switch!)

These numbers are only for the primary election. These could change after the general election.

This means that we have picked up 6 more votes to defeat the anti-gay constitutional amendement!

Pre-Primary Election Analysis

2006-09-05T09:17:00.000-07:00

This is my analysis of the primary races. I have used the same format as the MassResistance election analysis to make it easy to compare. I am only analyzing the primary races here. I will re-evaluate these races after the primary election. (Green means they are pro-gay rights. Red means they are anti-gay rights.) The projected winners are my own opinions and do not reflect the opinions of any organizations.

INCUMBENTS challenged in primaries (14 races):
If the incumbent rep is good and they are likely to be re-elected I will call it a "save". If the incumbent rep is good and they are likely to lose to a bad candidate I will call it a "lose". If the incumbent rep is bad and they are likely to lose to a good candidate I will call it a "pick-up". If the incumbent rep is bad and they are likely to be re-elected I will call it as "no change".

House - 12th Essex (Peabody)
D - Joyce Spiliotis, 85 Gardner St., Peabody
D - Sean R. Fitzgerald, 6 Elaine Ave., Peabody
Projected Winner: Joyce Spiliotis - NO CHANGE

House - 5th Suffolk (Boston/Dorchester)
D - Marie St. Fleur, 45 Hartford St., Boston
D - Severiano Cruz, 38 Dacia St., Boston
D - Roy Owens, 6 Woodville St., Boston
Projected Winner: Marie St. Fleur - SAVE

House - 10th Worcester (Milford/Mendon/Hopedale)
D - Marie J. Parente, 13 Reagan Rd., Milford
D - John V. Fernandes, 320 Purchase St., Milford
Projected Winner: Marie Parente - NO CHANGE

House - 12th Norfolk (Norwood/Walpole)
D - John H. Rogers, 194 Plantation Cir., Norwood
D - Leah C. O'Leary, 13 Devon Rd., Norwood
Projected Winner: John Rogers - SAVE (Even though Rogers now support marriage equality he is still not very queer friendly. I would love to see O'Leary win, but it just isn't going to happen.)

House - 11th Hampden (Springfield)
D - Benjamin Swan, 837 State St., Springfield
D - Larry Lawson, 484 Hancock St., Springfield
D - Norman W. Oliver, 377 St. James Ave., Springfield
Projected Winner: Ben Swan - SAVE

House - 13th Bristol (New Bedford)
D - Antonio F.D. Cabral, 212 Maple St., New Bedford
D - Brian K. Gomes, 66 Clara St., New Bedford
Projected Winner: Antonio Cabral - SAVE

House - 16th Worcester (Worcester)
D - John P. Fresolo, 25 Dolly Dr., Worcester
D - Melissa J. Murgo, 179 Delmont Ave., Worcester
Projected Winner: John Fresolo - NO CHANGE (I would love to be wrong about this one. If Melissa Murgo really works at it, she does have a chance here.)

House - 8th Worcester (Webster/Uxbridge/Dudly)
D - Paul Kujawski, 71 Klebart Ave., Webster
D - Mark G. Dowgiewicz, 16 Reid Smith Cove Rd., Webster
Projected Winner: Paul Kujawski - NO CHANGE

House - 9th Essex (Lynn/Saugus/Lynnfield)
D - Mark V. Falzone, 9 Broadway, Saugus
D - Sean P. Grant, 485 Central St., Saugus
Projected Winner: Mark Falzone - SAVE

House - 7th Bristol (Fall River)
D - Robert Correia, 1290 Plymouth Ave., Fall River
D - Kevin Aguiar, 48 Coral St., Fall River
D - John J. Rodrigues, 36 Lenox St., Fall River
Projected Winner: Robert Correia - NO CHANGE

House - 4th Berkshire (Pittsfield/Lenox)
D - William "Smitty" Pignatelli, 339 Housatonic St., Lenox
D - Patrick Long, 84 Alford Rd., Great Barrington
Projected Winner: William “Smitty” Pignatelli - SAVE

Senate - First Worcester (Worcester/Boylston/Holden)
D - Harriette L. Chandler, 97 Aylesbury Rd., Worcester
D - Deirdre Healy, 963 Pleasant St., Worcester
Projected Winner: Harriette Chandler - SAVE

Senate - Fourth Middlesex (Arlington/Billerica/Burlington)
D - Robert A. Havern, III, 35 Bartlett Ave., Arlington
D - Joanna Gonsalves, 16 Lexington St., Woburn
Projected Winner: Robert Havern - SAVE

Senate - Second Suffolk (Boston)
D - Dianne Wilkerson, Boston (write-in candidate)
D - Sonia Chang-Diaz, Boston (write-in candidate)
R and D - Samiyah Diaz, Boston (write-in candidate)
Projected Winner: Dianne Wilkerson - SAVE (This is a very interesting race. The incumbent, Dianne Wilkerson, did not collect enough signatures to get her name on the ballot. Her biggest opponent, Sonia Chang-Diaz, only decided to run for the seat when she saw that Wilkerson didn't get on the ballot. Therefore, all three candidates are waging sticker campaigns. To top it off, Samiyah is a Republican who already has her name on the Republican ballot. She is joining the other two candidates in the Democratic primary running a sticker campaign in hopes of getting her name in both the Republican and Democrat spot on the November ballot. Even though all cadidates are pro-equality, it is crucial that we protect Dianne as one of our greatest and most powerful allies in the State House.)

OPEN SEATS - Incumbents not running again (12 races):
This is where we can really pick up some votes. I will mark the out-going reps as either red or green so you can see where we have a chance up picking up votes. If the out-going rep is good and we will likely elect a good candidate, I will call it a "save". If the out-going rep is good and we will likely elect a bad candidate, I will call it a "lose". If the out-going rep is bad and we will likely elect a good candidate to replace them, I will call it a "pick-up". If the out-going rep is bad and we will likely elect another bad candidate, I will call it as "no change".

House - 15th Essex ( Methuen)
OUT-GOING: Rep. Arthur Broadhurst (D)
D - Linda Dean Campbell, 42 Sugar Pine Ln., Methuen
D - Edward F. Curran, 7 Cypress Ave., Methuen
D - Christopher DiBella, 4 Bumpy Ln., Methuen
D - Michael W. Hennessy, 9 Stevens St., Methuen
Projected Winner: Christopher DiBella - SAVE (Tough to call. I am hoping it is DiBella. My second guess would be Linda Dean Campbell)

House - 3rd Hampden (Agawam)
OUT-GOING: Rep. Daniel Keenan (D)
D - Carley R. Johnson, Jr., 135 Country Rd., Agawam
D - Joseph Mineo, 33 Maple Meadows Ln., Agawam
D - Rosemary Sandlin, 90 Granger Dr., Agawam
Projected Winner: Rosemary Sandlin - SAVE

House - 28th Middlesex (Everett/Malden)
OUT-GOING: Rep. Ed Connolly - deceased (D)
D - Frank Nuzzo, Jr., 20 Evelyn Rd., Everett
D - Stephen Stat Smith, 53 Clarence St., Everett
D - Rosemary Miller (write-in candidate)
Projected Winner: Stat Smith - PICK-UP

House - 6th Suffolk (Mattapan/Roxbury)
OUTGOING: Rep. Shirley Owens-Hicks (D)
D - Willie Mae Allen, 85 Deering Rd., Boston
D - William R. Celester, Sr., 115 Hazleton St., Boston
Projected Winner: I have no idea. They are both good on our issues. - PICK-UP

House - 6th Worcester (Southbridge/Charlton/Spencer)
OUT-GOING: Rep. Mark Carron (D)
D - Geraldo Alicea, 13 Deer Run, Charlton
D - Patrick J. Driscoll, 35 Donnelly Rd., Spencer (openly gay)
D - Scott S. Lazo, 36 Ellis Rd., Southbridge
D - Joanne E. Powell, 15 Dodge Ln., Charlton
D - Karen A. Spiewak, 90 Osgood Rd., Charlton
Projected Winner: Joanne Powell - NO CHANGE (This one is very tough to call. I would love to see Pat Driscoll win, but his campaign is not very strong. I really hope that I am wrong about this one.)

House - 12th Hampden (Springfield/Wilbraham)
OUT-GOING: Rep. Gale Candaras (D)
D - Angelo J. Puppolo, Jr., 44 South Shore Dr., Springfield
D - Jim Driscoll, East Longmeadow (write-in candidate)
Projected Winner: Angelo Puppolo - NO CHANGE (The write-in candidate does have a small chance here. If he turns his campaign around in the next two weeks we could see a pick-up. This is not likely though.)

House - 3rd Worcester (Fitchburg)
OUT-GOING: Rep. Emile Goguen (D)
D - Stephen L. DiNatale, 150 Walton St., Fitchburg
D - David P. Leblanc, 30 Silver St., Fitchburg
D - Mary H. Whitney, 12 Pine St., Fitchburg
Projected Winner: Stephen DiNatale - PICK-UP

House - 1st Bristol (Foxboroug0h/Mansfield/Norton)
OUT-GOING: Rep. Virginia Coppola (R)
D - Matthew J. Donovan, 101 M Chestnut St., Foxborough
D - Paul R. Feeney, 182 North St., Foxborough
D - Claire B. Naughton, 4 Everett Ln., Foxborough
Projected Winner: Clair Naughton - PICK UP

House - 4th Barnstable (Cape Cod)
OUT-GOING: Rep. Shirley Gomes (R)
D - Ronald J. Bergstrom, 1347 Old Queen Anne Rd., Chatham
D - Raymond C. Gottwald, 38 Huckleberry Path, Harwich (openly gay)
D - Sarah K. Peake, 7 Center St., Provincetown (openly gay)
R - Andrew G. Buckley, 202 Lime Hill Rd., Chatham
R - Donald F. Howell, 14 Haskell Ln., Harwich
R - Aaron R. Maloy, 81A Finlay Rd., Orleans (openly gay)
Projected Winner in the Democratic Primary: Sarah Peake - PICK-UP
Projected Winner in the Republican Primary: Don Howell - PICK-UP (Howell is pro-equality and pro-choice. This race is very interesting. There are three openly gay candidates. However, one of the gay candidates is republican that is anti-gay, anti-equality and anti-choice.)

House - 4th Bristol (Rehoboth/Seekonk)
OUT-GOING: Rep. Philip Travis (D)
D - Nicholas D. Bernier, 494 Sharps Lot Rd., Swansea
D - Steven J. D'Amico, 81 Briarwood Dr., Seekonk
D - Robert A. Marquis, 298 Vinnicum Rd., Swansea
D - John W. Whelan, 15 Woodward Ave., Seekonk
Projected Winner: Steve D’Amico - PICK UP

Senate - Berkshire, Hampshire & Franklin (Pittsfield/North Adams)
OUTGOING: Sen. Andrea Nuciforo (D)
D - Benjamin Brackett Downing, 123 Pomeroy Ave., Pittsfield
D - Christopher Hodgkins, 100 Franklin St., Lee
D - Helen Sharron, 343 Huntington Rd., Worthington
D - Margaret Johnson Ware, 24 Moorland St., Williamstown
D - John T. Zelazo, 22 Summit Ave., Adams
Projected Winner: No matter who wins: - SAVE (I don't know anything about this race but I would like to see Christopher Hodgkins win.)

Senate - First Hampden & Hampshire (Springfield/East Longmeadow)
OUT-GOING: Sen. Brian Lees (R)
D - Brian Michael Ashe, 107 Belleclaire Ave., Longmeadow
D - Rep. Gale D. Candaras, 643 Tinkham Rd., Wilbraham
D - Rosemarie Mazza-Moriarty, 95 Osborne Ter., Springfield
Projected Winner: Gale Candaras - LOSE (This is considered a lose because Candaras voted against us when she was in the House. However, we might be able to convince her to be with us in the future. Hopefully this will end up being a save.)

The result of the primary races will look something like this:

We will SAVE 12 pro-equality incumbents
We will see NO CHANGE in 7 anti-equality seats
We will PICK-UP 6 pro-equality seats previously held by anti-equality reps (This is HUGE!)
We will likely LOSE 1 seat to an anti-equality legislator (who we might be able to switch!)

A few of the races listed above are too close to call, so I am making an educated guess. Of course the final numbers above are subject to change.

I will use this same page to evaluate the results of the primary election...so stay tuned!

The Homosexual Agenda:

2006-07-21T21:30:00.000-07:00

Roll Call

2006-07-20T12:18:00.000-07:00

This is the roll call for the final vote to override the governor's veto of the Commission for Gay and Lesbian Youth. Y = override governor's veto, N = sustain governor's veto, X = did not vote

Bay Windows

2006-07-20T06:58:00.000-07:00

Rallying the Troops

The battle for marriage equality isn’t the only fight the state’s LGBT community has on its hands. That’s why Chris Mason started TakeMassAction.com, a blog that aims to rally would-be activists to LGBT causes of all kinds.

Mason, the 24-year-old canvass director for MassEquality, started the site in mid-June in response to repeated queries from folks who wanted to get politically involved. “I was kind of frustrated that there wasn’t some place where people could go and find out if there was anything they could do to help the community as far as politics go,” he explains. “I could tell them what they could do for the marriage issue, but there’s a lot of others stuff going on.”

As Mason points out, in the past year attacks on the LGBT community have intensified. “And we can also see that they are winning in a few cases,” he says, pointing out Gov. Mitt Romney’s near-success in dismantling the Governor’s Commission on Gay and Lesbian Youth in May, Macy’s decision to take down a Boston Pride-related window display after being pressured by the anti-gay group MassResistance (formerly Article 8 Alliance), and the battle being waged by Lexington father David Parker (with help from MassResistance) to squash the discussion of homosexuality in a local primary school. “I just wanted to make sure that people knew we are being attacked head on, and in some cases they’re winning. And I think that we need to confront that.”

True to its name, TakeMassAction is a blog (mercifully) short on the pontificating and name-calling typical of many activist-oriented sites. Instead, Mason provides concise descriptions of what’s at stake and the steps readers can take to make their voices heard. For instance, a short July 9 posting urging the Legislature to override Romney’s budget vetoes of Safe Schools funding and a proposal to create and independent Commission on Gay and Lesbian Youth, provides links to a list of legislators being pressured by MassResistance to support the vetoes (“So that they also get phone calls from people that support Safe Schools”, says Mason), statistics about gay youth suicide, the efficacy of the gay/straight alliances supported by the Safe Schools Program and a link to a page that tells readers exactly which legislators to contact and how best to make their pitch. “Take a few minutes to make a phone call, send an email, or write a letter,” Mason writes. “The safety of LGBT youth is at stake. Take Action Now!”

Mason says the blog’s format arises from his desire to give the LGBT community the resources to counter anti-gay attacks from right-wingers. “What I want to do is keep track of exactly what the radical right’s doing and who they’re calling, who they’re sending emails to,” Mason explains, “and then alert people of what they’re doing and tell people what they can do in response to that.”

- Laura Kiristy

S.C.A.R.F.

2006-07-16T23:30:00.000-07:00

About Christopher Mason

2006-07-14T21:05:00.000-07:00

My name is Chris Mason. My three siblings and I grew up in a small town in central Massachusetts. When I was 9 years old, I started an organization named S.C.A.R.F (Save Condemned Amazon Rainforests). I recruited members and together we canvassed door-to-door to raise money. With the money we raised we were able to buy and preserve an acre of land in the Amazon rainforest.

I came out when I was 14 to my parents, friends, family, and classmates. Since that time, I have been an advocate for social justice and equality.

At age 15, I started a campaign to expel military recruiters from my high school based on the district’s non-discrimination policy. That was when I first encountered anti-gay politics and strong prejudice.

I encouraged students and faculty to promote tolerance and acceptance in my high school. I was the president of the gay/straight alliance and worked hard to educate others at school and in the community on LGBT issues.

I have worked on campaigns for many candidates and incumbents in the Massachusetts State Legislature. I was the campaign manager for a pro-equality candidate running against a staunch opponent of LGBT rights. I have also worked inside the State House, serving as Executive Assistant to the first female Senate President of Massachusetts.

I was a field organizer for MassEquality, working to protect equal marriage rights in Massachusetts. In 2006 I founded TakeMassAction, a watchdog group dedicated to tracking the radical right in Massachusetts and alerting the queer community of upcoming events, rallies, protests, hearings and meetings involving LGBT issue.

I am currently a full-time student majoring in History and Government. In early 2008, I was elected to Ward 1 of the Cambridge Democratic City Committee, and appointed as a Commissioner to the City of Cambridge GLBT Commission. I am also honored to serve on the Friends of GLBT Youth Board of Directors. My newest project is called Driving Equality, a 100-day, 16,000-mile road-trip through all of the lower 48 states to examine LGBT equality and discrimination throughout the nation. I have a fierce passion for politics and social justice. My core issues are preserving the environment, achieving universal healthcare, protecting civil liberties, reforming immigration, combating poverty, ending war, promoting peace, and securing LGBT rights.

In Newsweekly

2006-07-13T21:31:00.000-07:00

Activist Christopher Mason launches Mass Action blog

BOSTON (Thomas E. Kilduff) - A new GLBT-rights blog has been making waves in the local blogosphere. "TakeMassAction" was founded by young gay activist, Chris Mason, an employee at the equal marriage lobbying group, MassEquality. "TakeMassAction" is Mason's way of keeping his eye on radical right activity in the state of Massachusetts. While a slight departure from his day job as Assistant Canvas Director, Mason's blogging-by-night is no less inspiring.

"I want to keep it totally separate from what I do at MassEquality," Mason said "and I just want to help regular people, who are otherwise not that into politics, get involved by taking simple actions."

Indeed, the lucidity for action is well-marked by different colored fonts and direct instructions; whether it be calling the governor's office asking him to not de-fund gay/straight alliances or saying "thank you" to pro-equality parent groups in the suburbs. Oftentimes, Mason will provide links to thought-provoking articles that concern the GLBT community. Another hallmark of "TakeMassAction" is what Mason calls "Opposition Research."

"I read what MassResistance is up to and generally keep tabs on what the religious right is saying," Mason said.

Like most bloggers, Mason provides links to the guards of the old media, further strengthening the cooperation between old and new.

Take Action Now!

2006-07-09T17:22:00.000-07:00

Keep schools safe for LGBT students! We must convince the Massachusetts House of Representative to override the governor's vetoes!

Call and email these state representatives. Tell them to vote YES to override the governor's vetoes of:

Item # 4590-0250 (Dept. of Education)
Item # 7010-0005 (Dept. of Education)
Item # 4513-1130 (Dept. of Public Health)

And very important:

Section 4: The Commission for Gay and Lesbian Youth

We must act fast! The vote could be any day now.

First call this list of legislators. When calling be polite and explain why you believe gay/straight alliances are so important for the safety of ALL students in school.
Here is a sample phone script:

Hi Representative _________
My name is _________. I am calling to urge you to vote to override Governor Romney's vetoes of budget item numbers 4590-0250, 7010-0005, 4513-1130 and the creation of the Commission for Gay and Lesbian Youth.
Please override the governor's veto on these items so that our schools will be made safe for ALL students.
(Explain why you personally believe schools need gay/straight alliances).
Thank you.

Next, email as many of these legislators as possible. Click on the legislator's WebPage to see their email address.
Here is a sample email:

I am writing to urge you to vote to override Governor Romney's vetoes of budget item numbers 4590-0250, 7010-0005, 4513-1130 and the creation of the Commission for Gay and Lesbian Youth.
Please override the governor's veto on these items so that our schools will be made safe for ALL students.
(Explain why you personally believe schools need gay/straight alliances).
Thank you.

Start with these three representatives. They NEED to hear from us. They are on the House Ways and Mean Committee. These three legislators have a huge influence on whether or not the House of Representatives will even get to vote to override these vetoes.

Rep Robert DeLeo Winthrop 617-722-2990 WebPage

Rep Marie St. Fleur Boston 617-722-2380 WebPage

Rep James Vallee Franklin 617-722-2380 WebPage

This is the list of legislators that really need to be worked on. This is the group that the anti-gay organizations are targeting. We can get them to vote the right way by letting them know how important gay/straight alliances are in schools.

Rep	Bruce	Ayers	Quincy	617-722-2460	WebPage
Rep	Mark	Carron	Southbridge	617-722-2060	WebPage
Rep	Paul	Casey	Winchester	617-722-2380	WebPage
Rep	Virginia	Coppola	Foxborough	617-722-2487	WebPage
Rep	Robert	Correia	Fall River	617-722-2810	WebPage
Rep	Geraldine	Creedon	Brockton	617-722-2070	WebPage
Rep	Vinny	deMacedo	Plymouth	617-722-2100	WebPage
Rep	Brian	Dempsey	Haverhill	617-722-2263	WebPage
Rep	Joseph	Driscoll	Braintree	617-722-2460	WebPage
Rep	Lewis	Evangelidis	Holden	617-722-2263	WebPage
Rep	James	Fagan	Taunton	617-722-2430	WebPage
Rep	Robert	Fennell	Lynn	617-722-2470	WebPage
Rep	Paul	Frost	Auburn	617-722-2489	WebPage
Rep	Colleen	Garry	Dracut	617-722-2380	WebPage
Rep	Susan	Gifford	Wareham	617-722-2090	WebPage
Rep	Emile	Goguen	Fitchburg	617-722-2400	WebPage
Rep	Shirley	Gomes	Harwich	617-722-2803	WebPage
Rep	William	Greene	Billerica	617-722-2210	WebPage
Rep	Robert	Hargraves	Groton	617-722-2305	WebPage
Rep	Bradford	Hill	Ipswich	617-722-2489	WebPage
Rep	Donald	Humason,	Westfield	617-722-2460	WebPage
Rep	Frank	Hynes	Marshfield	617-722-2552	WebPage
Rep	Bradley	Jones,	North Reading	617-722-2100	WebPage
Rep	Thomas	Kennedy	Brockton	617-722-2012	WebPage
Rep	Paul	Kujawski	Webster	617-722-2017	WebPage
Rep	Stephen	LeDuc	Marlborough	617-722-2011	WebPage
Rep	John	Lepper	Attleboro	617-722-2100	WebPage
Rep	Paul	Loscocco	Holliston	617-722-2220	WebPage
Rep	James	Miceli	Wilmington	617-722-2582	WebPage
Rep	James	Murphy	Weymouth	617-722-2396	WebPage
Rep	David	Nangle	Lowell	617-722-2020	WebPage
Rep	Patrick	Natale	Woburn	617-722-2810	WebPage
Rep	Harold	Naughton	Clinton	617-722-2013	WebPage
Rep	Thomas	O'Brien	Kingston	617-722-2637	WebPage
Rep	Shirley	Owens-Hicks	Mattapan	617-722-2011	WebPage
Rep	Marie	Parente	Milford	617-722-2010	WebPage
Rep	Jeffrey	Perry	Sandwich	617-722-2396	WebPage
Rep	George	Peterson	Grafton	617-722-2100	WebPage
Rep	Elizabeth	Poirier	Attleborough	617-722-2976	WebPage
Rep	Karyn	Polito	Shrewsbury	617-722-2011	WebPage
Rep	Susan	Pope	Wayland	617-722-2305	WebPage
Rep	John	Quinn	Dartmouth	617-722-2020	WebPage
Rep	Michael	Rodrigues	Westport	617-722-2030	WebPage
Rep	Mary	Rogeness	Longmeadow	617-722-2100	WebPage
Rep	Richard	Ross	Wrentham	617-722-2305	WebPage
Rep	Michael	Rush	Boston	617-722-2210	WebPage
Rep	Todd	Smola	Palmer	617-722-2240	WebPage
Rep	Joyce	Spiliotis	Peabody	617-722-2430	WebPage
Rep	William	Straus	Mattapoisett	617-722-2040	WebPage
Rep	Walter	Timilty	Milton	617-722-2810	WebPage
Rep	Philip	Travis	Rehoboth	617-722-2810	WebPage
Rep	James	Vallee	Franklin	617-722-2380	WebPage
Rep	Anthony	Verga	Gloucester	617-722-2877	WebPage
Rep	Daniel	Webster	Hanson	617-722-2487	WebPage

This second group should be with us. They just need to hear from you. Let them know why schools need to be safe for all students.

Rep	John	Binienda	Worcester	617-722-2320	WebPage
Rep	Garrett	Bradley	Hingham	617-722-2396	WebPage
Rep	Gale	Candaras	Wilbraham	617-722-2520	WebPage
Rep	Robert	Coughlin	Dedham	617-722-2320	WebPage
Rep	Sean	Curran	Springfield	617-722-2030	WebPage
Rep	Paul	Donato	Medford	617-722-2960	WebPage
Rep	Jennifer	Flanagan	Leominster	617-722-2582	WebPage
Rep	David	Flynn	Bridgewater	617-722-2017	WebPage
Rep	John	Fresolo	Worcester	617-722-2240	WebPage
Rep	Thomas	Golden	Lowell	617-722-2410	WebPage
Rep	Geoffrey	Hall	Westford	617-722-2575	WebPage
Rep	Louis	Kafka	Stoughton	617-722-2305	WebPage
Rep	Michael	Kane	Holyoke	617-722-2263	WebPage
Rep	Robert	Koczera	New Bedford	617-722-2582	WebPage
Rep	William	Lantigua	Lawrence	617-722-8102	WebPage
Rep	James	Leary	Worcester	617-722-2030	WebPage
Rep	Robert	Nyman	Hanover	617-722-2020	WebPage
Rep	Eugene	O'Flaherty	Chelsea	617-722-2396	WebPage
Rep	John	Rogers	Norwood	617-722-2600	WebPage
Rep	Eric	Turkington	Falmouth	617-722-2015	WebPage
Rep	Joseph	Wagner	Chicopee	617-722-2460	WebPage
Rep	Brian	Wallace	Boston	617-722-2120	WebPage
Rep	Patricia	Walrath	Stow	617-722-2430	WebPage
Rep	James	Welch	Springfield	617-722-2060	WebPage

Take Action Now to Save Gay/Straight Alliances!

2006-07-08T23:48:00.000-07:00

We need to act fast! Go here to Take Action Now.
Gay/straight alliances are UNDER ATTACK!
A recent study conducted in Massachusetts shows that LGBT teens are over five times more likely to have attempted suicide than their peers. The same study shows that gay youth are three times more likely than their peers to miss school because of feeling unsafe. They are also three times more likely to have been injured at school.
Gay/straight alliances in schools provide safe places for LGBT youth to meet. These clubs build community spirit, mutual understanding, promote tolerance, and combat homophobia.
But anti-gay organizations are trying to stop Massachusetts from making schools safe for LGBT students. The scary part is that if we don't act now we could actually lose this one!
Governor Mitt Romney has vetoed the funding that we need to keep LGBT students safe in schools.
However, we can override his veto if we have enough votes. To override his veto we will need 105 legislators in the House to vote with us. That means the anti-gay groups only need 53 votes to beat us!
Anti-gay organizations are having hundreds of people make calls to a targeted group of state legislators to try and stop the funding for gay/straight alliances. They are even having people that live in other states call OUR state legislators!
We need to be calling these same legislators and telling them to vote to override the governor's veto. Start by calling your own legislators.
Use our list to contact legislators and convince them to make schools safe for ALL students!
Take Action Now!

Good News for TakeMassAction

2006-07-06T18:23:00.000-07:00

TakeMassAction.com has been making news! From the newspapers to the blogs, people are talking about TakeMassAction.

Recently a popular blog among Massachusetts activists, Massresistance Watch, posted about TakeMassAction:

...it's called Take Mass Action and it's run by Chris Mason of Cambridge.
Chris has already had a very interesting life and he's just 24. From his concern for the environment (starting a group at 9 years old to protect the rainforests) to his opposition in high school to anti-gay military recruiters, Chris has shown that the youth of today are concerned about the world and people around them.
His latest post takes on MassResistance/Article 8's insistence that gay youth not be protected. Cleverly he also uses the tactics of anti-gay forces against them...