MASSACHUSETTS: Judge Who Authored 2003 Gay Marriage Ruling To Retire

Massachusetts Chief Justice Margaret Marshall, the author of the historic 2003 ruling legalizing same-sex marriage, has announced her retirement.

Marshall said at a news conference that her husband, former New York Times columnist Anthony Lewis, had been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, and she was leaving "so that Tony and I may enjoy our final seasons together." "Tony and I are both at an age where we have learned to value -- value deeply -- the precious gift of time," she said. At the same time, she said, she was retiring, effective at the end of October, with "deep regret" from work that she considered "thrilling." In 2003, Marshall authored the court's majority decision that for the first time in Western legal circles, found that same-sex marriages were a lawful extension of the Massachusetts Declaration of Rights, the state's Constitution. "The Massachusetts Constitution affirms the dignity and equality of all individuals," Marshall wrote for the 4-3 majority. "It forbids the creation of second-class citizens." The ruling authorizing gay marriage is still echoing through the United States, on the state and federal level, and has become part of the legal debate on the meaning of equality in the 21st century, where historic views of the genders are being challenged by science and society.

The comments on the above-linked Boston Globe article are predictably repulsive. Go show our hero some love, if you've got a minute.

(Tipped by JMG reader Liz)