A rift on gay unions fuels a coup at pollsHow Somerville activist ousted a fixtureShortly after the Supreme Judicial Court handed down its ruling legalizing same-sex marriage on Nov. 18, state Representative Vincent P. Ciampa was visited by a 26-year-old constituent named Carl Sciortino, who wanted to know if the Somerville legislator favored a constitutional ban on same-sex matrimony.
Ciampa said he would support such a ban, as well as one on Vermont-style civil unions. Sciortino, a political neophyte who is gay, decided that someone should run against the veteran. That someone ended up being Carl Sciortino. On Sept. 14, Sciortino beat Ciampa in a tight Democratic primary for the 34th Middlesex district. It was a stunning upset; Ciampa, a lieutenant to House Speaker Thomas M. Finneran, had held the seat for 16 years and had enjoyed the endorsement of Somerville's mayor, Joseph A. Curtatone, and its establishment. But it was also evidence that the legalization of same-sex marriage in Massachusetts has emerged as a galvanizing issue in this fall's legislative elections, adding an unpredictable factor to the mix. For those who favor same-sex marriage, the removal of Ciampa from his once-safe Somerville seat is the most significant election victory so far. In the 34th Middlesex, the same-sex marriage issue drew activists to volunteer for Sciortino. They raised money and forged alliances for him. US Representative Barney Frank lent his name to a fund-raising letter, and Sciortino got help from a website run by supporters of same-sex marriage that steered donations from outside Massachusetts to Sciortino. As the November general election approaches, polls show that same-sex marriage is not a pressing issue for a majority of voters, but strategists and activists on both sides see it as potentially bringing new energy to legislative races. Advisers to Governor Mitt Romney say he won't highlight the issue, despite his fervent opposition, as he tries to seat Republicans in the Democrat-run Legislature. The closely divided Legislature will decide in the next two years whether to place an initiative banning same-sex marriage on the November 2006 ballot. Ciampa's opposition to gay marriage alarmed some with little history of activism, such as Dorene Bowe-Shulman, a Somerville resident who had resigned herself to a representative who opposes benefits for gay couples. With the announcement of Sciortino's candidacy, Bowe-Shulman and her same-sex spouse sprang into action, donating $500 each to his campaign, throwing a fund-raiser at their home, volunteering to knock on doors, and rousing friends and family for support. ''I had never volunteered before in my life," said Bowe-Shulman, 39, a cancer patient who had asked Ciampa to change his position so she could access her partner's health insurance benefits, to no avail. ''We had never, never done something like this. I've never solicited friends for cancer funding, and I did phone calling. We had to eat macaroni and cheese for a few weeks, but it was worth it. This was our lives." Continued... |
