Dignity/Boston in the News

June 1, 2003 — As word of the plan of the Massachusetts Catholic bishops to rally support of Catholic parishioners against same sex marriage reached the Boston media, one of the first calls reporters made was to Marianne Duddy, longtime Dignity/Boston member and executive director of Dignity/USA.

Duddy commented in a front page article in the May 29th edition of The Boston Globe headlined “Bishops eye pastors to fight gay marriage – Want Catholics to press legislators for amendment.” She said, “Any Catholic family who has a gay or lesbian family member who is in a committed relationship will be extremely insulted and angry if they hear this read from the pulpit or are handed a copy as they attend Sunday liturgy. To see the bishops using their influence to uphold discrimination is tragic.”

A follow up story on the front page of the “City and Region” section of the May 31st edition of The Boston Globe headlined, “Gays, lesbians lash out at church – Same-sex marriage opposition blasted” also quotes Duddy among other prominent gay and lesbian activists. Duddy said, “It’s an entirely inappropriate use of church resources to be funding these attempts to institutionalize a two-class system in society, in which some families have rights that other families are not entitled to. For church leaders to be taking a stand on that in the name of the entire church is an absolute perversion of everything our church should be about.”

Duddy has also participated in several broadcast interviews on the topic including appearing in a debate segment on New England Cable News’ “News Night” program opposite Philip Moran of the Catholic Alliance Counsel.