Vermont Senate Votes to legalise same sex marriage

24 Mar 2009

An e-mail from our friends in MassEquality....

"Just moments ago, the Vermont State Senate voted with overwhelming support to pass S.115 - the bill to legalize same-sex marriage in Vermont. 26 Senators (out of 30) cast their vote in support of marriage equality. This is a monumental victory for Vermont and for LGBT equality.

I spent last week on the ground in Vermont in a critical Senate district working with Vermont Freedom to Marry. I was able to organize a bus full of marriage equality supporters from Bennington to the State House in Montpelier to testify in support of same-sex marriage. We joined nearly 1,000 other supporters, outnumbering our opponents roughly 3-2. So many Vermonters came to testify that we spilled into the hearing rooms, cafeteria, and even the hallways. The State House was literally overflowing with Vermonters telling their personal stories and advocating for the right to marry the person they love.

The Senate took up the bill today after the Senate Judiciary Committee voted unanimously, 5-0, to support the bill last Friday.

Thanks to the hard work of The Vermont Freedom to Marry Task Force, this critical step has been reached. Next, the bill will advance to the House of Representatives where a vote is likely to happen next week. While we are confident in its passage, we still need to assist our neighbors to the north to pass this bill. After that, the bill will be enacted into law, absent a veto from the Governor. Once that happens, Vermont will be the first state to recognize marriage equality through direct legislative initiative.

It has been an honor working with Vermont Freedom to Marry. I'm grateful for the opportunity to advance equality and make history.

Thank you,

Ryan Brown
Field Coordinator"

See details of the full story here