Julie, Hillary Goodridge To Divorce, Couple Led Gay Marriage Fight In Massachusetts

BOSTON — A lesbian couple who led the fight for gay marriage in Massachusetts has filed for divorce. Julie and Hillary Goodridge were among seven gay couples who filed a lawsuit that led to a court ruling making Massachusetts the first state to legalize same-sex marriages in 2004. The couple became the public face of the debate in the state and married the first day same-sex marriages became legal.

The divorce case was filed last week in Suffolk Probate and Family Court and was not unexpected. The couple announced they were separating in 2006.

Messages left for the Goodridges were not immediately returned Tuesday.

Comments

[ArmyCentrist]

(In the Family Guy voice) Ironnnnyyy­y...

[GearRatio]

I'll be curious to see just what sort of divorce rates gay couples will rack up here in MA over the long term. I suspect that a fair number of gay couples married in haste after the SJC ruling, just for the novelty of it; I don't expect those marriages to last. I'll be more interested in seeing the statistics for later, more considered unions.

Still, there are some grounds for optimism here; Massachusetts has the lowest per capita divorce rate in the US, and has had for a good many years. (Texas has the highest, beating out California for the honor.) I had always ascribed our long lasting marriages to shear Yankee stubborness; tough to get a proper Yankee to admit that he or she has made a mistake!

Only know a handful of gay men & women here, so, hard to generalize, but, they seem pretty stubborn too...

[kissmygrits]

NOW people will see it's just like any other marriage ... hope, hope.

[lildyke]

The problem here is this should NOT even be news. How many straight couples split up every day, that don't make news. So they got a divorce big deal.

[LUV2TALK]

Same sex, same problems!!

[cdsister]

So tru

[gayexmormonbotanist]

amen

[3015551212]

What if there was no such thing as marriage?

[BurgessPenguin]

Oh, the irony...

[JScott]

Yup the next stage.

[pickwickianmom]

Think! What a faux pas! thing.....

[KoolBreez]

But what about the sanctity of divorce? (Lewis Black)

[Opt1musPr1me]

I am all for people who are in love to be together, but I never understood why gay people wanted to get married . Its punishment­..... Sorry honey I know you read my comments. Cook you dinner tonight? I Kid I kid!!!!!!!­!!!!!!!!!!­!!!!!!!!!!­!!!!!!!!!!­!!!!!!!!!!­!!!!!!!!!!­!!!!!!!!!!­!!!!!!!!!!­!!!!!!!!!!­!!!!!!!!!!­!!!!!!!!!!­!!!!!!!!!!­!!!!!!!!!!­!!!!!!!!!!­!!!!!!!!!!­!!!!!!!

[pickwickianmom]

I heard that the Cherokees had a marriage ceremony every year. I believe the woman got to say if she wanted the marriage to continue. (correct me if I'm wrong---I'm no historian and I'm too lazy to wiki)

That sounds like a GREAT system.

[amaycatbaker]

I will look up the cherokee, sounds interesting. I think the Druids did the same thing on May day, and the partner you were with you would be with for a year, then you could switch on the following May day. Not sure, I am looking through my history books after this comment.

[noctemcyn]

Handfasting. We had it incorporated into our Renaissance themed wedding.

[TexasDem0]

I don't remember who suggested it, but the idea was to make a marriage license like a driver's license.

It would have to be renewed every year, or it would expire.

[JSDKoeln]

they should do that for raising kids too!

[omo]

GetToKnowUsFirst.org is all upset because the NFL turned down their Public Service Announcement ad 'aimed at garnering understanding of and support for gay marriage' scheduled to air on Super Bowl Sunday.

The rejected ad shows two married (presumably to each other) African American men raising five children; the article concludes that "the evidently dangerous message is, 'marriage promotes family' ".

If the gay marriage brigade simply cannot grok how such an ad would be perceived by most viewers, in particular most African Americans, and how the NFL made the right call in refusing to air it on what is as close as the country comes to Solidarity Sunday, then said brigade should really google the word grok because they totally need to incorporate it into their vocabulary. Ideally, look for the original definition in Robert Heinlein's classic work "Stranger in a Strange Land". It's not that hard to find.

Methinks that GetToKnowUsFirst should get to know themselves first. As in Grok Thyself. (There is nothing obscene about that phrase, for all of you whose brains have been anally entrained and consequently see obscenities lurking everywhere . . .)

[complice]

Wow, you really are completely off your rocker, aren't you?

[mercury613]

That's nothing. You should read some of omo's other posts.

[tr24]

co-sign, omo! I love that word grok...you wouldn't be a fan of science fiction would you?

[pickwickianmom]

Actually, I think he landed yesterday.

[omo]

I used to be. But now we are living it so I don't read much anymore.
Do still really enjoy The Moon is a Harsh Mistress although . . . love the flying scenes . . .
Also anything by Octavia Butler

[twlala]

Equal rights for all!!

[amaycatbaker]

Amen!

[Retrofuturistic]

Do they have to fight for the right to divorce too?