Editor-in-chief
Thursday Jun 12, 2008
Photo: Marilyn Humphries (not shown on LLL)
Editor’s Note: This is the first time that Katherine Patrick has spoken to the media about being an out lesbian and the support she has received from her parents, Gov. Deval Patrick and First Lady Diane Patrick.
On June 14, 2007, the day that lawmakers finally voted down an anti-gay marriage amendment to the state constitution, Katherine Patrick stood outside the State House and looked up at her father. Gov. Deval Patrick was standing on the front steps, surrounded by a jubilant crowd of hundreds that mobbed the brick sidewalk and spilled halfway across Beacon Street. As they cheered the defeat of the amendment - an effort led by the governor, Senate President Therese Murray and House Speaker Sal DiMasi - Katherine had never before felt more proud of her father.
"Because, of course, he didn’t know that I was gay then," the 18-year-old recalls. "So, for someone so publicly to fight for something that doesn’t even affect him was just like, ’That’s my dad,’ you know?" she says with a laugh. "That’s all I could think. I was very, very proud to be part of this family, and this state in general."
Please follow the link above for the whole story printed in Bay Windows.
Seems the governor and hate group leader Amy Contrada of MassResistance.com have something in common; they both have lesbian daughters who recently came out of the closet. While the governor shows his daughter unconditional love and affirmation, Contrada has cut her daughter off from the GLBT community leaving us all to wonder if she is in a Rapunzel style tower locked away somewhere.
Governor Patrick, I was proud of you when you became governor, I was proud of you when you stood up for equality on June 14th 2007, and I am even more proud of you now seeing you lead all of us in example for families dealing with GLBT members. Put your other accomplishments aside, I'll take my hat off for this one alone. Your public stand will do much for all of us still fighting the good fight. Thank you!
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