Gay marriage ruling still in crosshairs

BRIDGEWATER-- Renewing their calls for the removal of four justices who penned the Supreme Judicial Court ruling legalizing same-sex marriage, members of Article 8 Alliance rallied yesterday along Route 106 in Bridgewater. They were urging motorists to telephone representatives and ask them to pass a bill recalling the judges.

About 20 demonstrators stood along the roadway, holding signs -- "End Gay 'Marriage' " and "Dump the Judges" -- and getting honks from motorists in support of a new bill of address that would remake the state's highest court. On April 20, Representative Emile J. Goguen, a Fitchburg Democrat, filed a bill of address requesting the removal of Justices Margaret H. Marshall, John M. Greaney, Roderick L. Ireland, and Judith A. Cowin, who ruled that the exclusion of same-sex couples from civil marriages violates the state constitution. The bill died in committee.

"We never got to vote and neither did the representatives," said Donna Petronelli, a Bridgewater resident who helped organize the event.

"The bill would nullify the ruling and be an official declaration that the ruling is illegitimate," said Brian Camenker, the director of Article 8 Alliance.

Camenker said supporters of gay marriage have been successful in blocking the bill thus far, but he plans to push for its refiling in January. He hopes that more lawmakers will be open to supporting the address after November's elections.

"We're not going to go away and we'll remember come election time whether they supported us or not," he said. "We're going to back legislators willing to stand up for traditional marriages against the national organizations."

Camenker said his group is attempting to counter national organizations that he said have been funneling money into the campaigns of gay-marriage supporters.

He pointed to SupportEquality.org, which accepts donations on its website supporting same-sex issues, including the right to marry.

SupportEquality's cofounder, Thomas Gerace, said that 85 percent of all donations comes from Massachusetts. He said the average gift is $50, and funds are disbursed among the candidates the group supports.

The website supports several candidates as well as MassEquality, an advocacy group supplying candidates who support gay rights with volunteers, organizing assistance, and other campaign services.

Camenker said the Alliance is trying to counteract such efforts by supporting incumbents who oppose same-sex marriage. One example he gave is the campaign to reelect Bruce J. Ayers, a Quincy Democrat who is facing opposition from an openly gay opponent, Paul J. Meoni, in the primary election next month.