WASHINGTON - The president of the Human Rights Campaign, the nation's largest gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender rights organization, offered the following statement today in response to news that the Massachusetts Constitutional Convention will take up a proposed discriminatory constitutional amendment sometime this year. The joint session of the state Legislature decided today to recess until Nov. 9. The recess today came without considering the proposed ban on same-sex marriages.

"Massachusetts has served as a beacon of equality and fairness in our country and to replace that beacon with the darkness of discrimination would be a travesty. We hope when the Legislature reconvenes, it will spend its valuable time debating the pressing needs of the commonwealth and not eliminate marriage equality, which has strengthened families and communities and harmed no one," said Human Rights
Campaign President Joe Solmonese.

The Human Rights Campaign is the largest national lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender political organization with members throughout the country. It effectively lobbies Congress, provides campaign support and educates the public to ensure that LGBT Americans can be open, honest and safe at home, at work and in the community.