An Open Letter to Senator Travaglini

59 Magee Street
Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139

Senate President Robert E. Travaglini
State House
Room 330
Boston, Massachusetts 02133

February 9, 2004

Dear Senator Travaglini:

As an affianced heterosexual couple, we urge you to oppose the amendment to ban gay marriages. If the amendment passes, our state would take an unprecedented step backwards in restricting rather than expanding human rights, and creating rather than abolishing institutional discrimination. Enshrining institutional bigotry would shame us as citizens of the Commonwealth, and you as the President of our Senate.

Our stake in defeating this amendment is personal: we are wedding this September. Our vows will be based on love and commitment, principles any couple should be able to enact through the institution of marriage. Passage of the anti-gay amendment would demean this institution for all married couples, but particularly those of us who have chosen this particular moment to marry. Contrary to claims by opponents of the Massachusetts Supreme Court Goodrich decision, granting gay and lesbian couples the power to marry enhances rather than tarnishes the institution of marriage, and makes us more rather than less enthusiastic about being married ourselves.

We would never join an exclusive country club, and we don’t want to be part of an exclusive institution, either. Please, do not darken the wedding days of ourselves and hundreds of other couples – both gay and straight – throughout the Commonwealth. Use the power we have entrusted in you as our state senator to defeat this hateful amendment and fulfill the promise of our Constitution: "All people are born free and equal and have certain natural, essential and unalienable rights." Our gay and lesbian friends have the same right to marry as we do.

Sincerely yours,

Rachel Anderson & Gene Koo
Wedding date: September 4, 2004
Ward 4, Precinct 1


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Photos Raves Events Username Password	An Open Letter to Senator Travaglini 59 Magee Street Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139 Senate President Robert E. Travaglini State House Room 330 Boston, Massachusetts 02133 February 9, 2004 Dear Senator Travaglini: As an affianced heterosexual couple, we urge you to oppose the amendment to ban gay marriages. If the amendment passes, our state would take an unprecedented step backwards in restricting rather than expanding human rights, and creating rather than abolishing institutional discrimination. Enshrining institutional bigotry would shame us as citizens of the Commonwealth, and you as the President of our Senate. Our stake in defeating this amendment is personal: we are wedding this September. Our vows will be based on love and commitment, principles any couple should be able to enact through the institution of marriage. Passage of the anti-gay amendment would demean this institution for all married couples, but particularly those of us who have chosen this particular moment to marry. Contrary to claims by opponents of the Massachusetts Supreme Court Goodrich decision, granting gay and lesbian couples the power to marry enhances rather than tarnishes the institution of marriage, and makes us more rather than less enthusiastic about being married ourselves. We would never join an exclusive country club, and we don’t want to be part of an exclusive institution, either. Please, do not darken the wedding days of ourselves and hundreds of other couples – both gay and straight – throughout the Commonwealth. Use the power we have entrusted in you as our state senator to defeat this hateful amendment and fulfill the promise of our Constitution: "All people are born free and equal and have certain natural, essential and unalienable rights." Our gay and lesbian friends have the same right to marry as we do. Sincerely yours, Rachel Anderson & Gene Koo Wedding date: September 4, 2004 Ward 4, Precinct 1