Description
The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court decision in Goodridge v. Dept. of Public Health found in a suit brought before it by Gay and Lesbian Advocates and Defenders (GLAD) that same-sex couples had the right to marry. Chief Justice Margaret Marshall, writing for the majority, stated that the state’s constitution (originally written by John Adams) “affirms the dignity and equality of all individuals. It forbids the creation of second-class citizens.” Massachusetts was the first state to sanction same-sex marriage.