Massachusetts was the first state to allow gay marriage, but because of an old law, gays from States where marriage were illegal could not marry. It turns out that this law was passed in 1913 to stop marriages of interracial couples coming from states where interracial marriage was illegal. (At Right: Gay protest sign encouraging a pro vote on gay marriage.)

When Massachusetts started allowed gay couples to marry, the old law was still in effect, but now presumably people from California, where gay marriage is now legal, can marry in Massachusetts.

The Democrats in the State Legislature want to kill the old law on the grounds that interracial marriages are now legal in all states, by order of the US Supreme Court. The Republicans and some conservative Democrats want to keep the law because it keeps out of state gay people from marrying in Massachusetts.

Does it not occur to any of these people that the law against gay people marrying is as antiquated as the laws against interracial marriage? Somewhere in the not too distant future, the people in Massachusetts and all other states will be purging their antediluvian laws against gay marriage. At that date laws against gay rights will be as shockingly immoral as laws against interracial marriage are now.