WASHINGTON - March 29 - Following is a statement from Matt Foreman, National Gay and Lesbian Task Force Executive Director:

"Today, the Massachusetts Legislature took a wrong and ugly step toward amending the world's oldest living constitution to enshrine discrimination against a minority - gay and lesbian families. But, this fight is not over, it's just beginning. We pledge our continued commitment to this struggle and to the Massachusetts lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community. With them, we'll do everything possible in the coming months to make sure this measure does not pass when it comes before the Legislature again next year. Failing that, we will defeat it at the polls in November 2006. Based on 31 years of fighting anti-gay extremists and bigotry, the Task Force is confident that equal rights will prevail.

On behalf of our national community, we thank our brave allies in the Legislature and praise the extraordinary work of MassEquality for fighting so hard against a venomous onslaught unleashed by right wing extremists. Their efforts have been an unprecedented display of courage, tenacity and strategic brilliance."

The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force has been a leader in working with MassEquality to defend equal marriage rights, including: (a) donating $25,000 to MassEquality to hire a full-time campaign director; (b) assigning veteran MA activist Sue Hyde from our Cambridge office to help organize rallies and develop campaign strategy; (c) coordinating a Power Summit in Boston (March 25-28) to train activists in identifing pro-marriage voters, and raising an additional $15,000 for MassEquality during the fundraising training track; (d) bringing our National Religious Leadership Roundtable to Boston (March 8-10) to speak to legislators and show that faith leaders do, indeed, support marriage equality; and, (e) providing data and analyses to support the MA marriage equality work, including a ground-breaking analysis of the economic disparities faced by MA same-sex couples because they are denied equal marriage rights.

More information and resources on the struggle for equal marriage rights can be found in the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force Marriage Information Resource Center at http://www.TheTaskForce.org/marriagecenter

For detailed information on the happenings in MA,as well as the text of the proposed amendment, log on to the Boston Globe Web site.

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