Continental promo
||  News  ||
 
November 18, 2005

Vocal critic of same-sex marriage will not seek reelection

The most vocal critic of same-sex marriage in the Massachusetts legislature will not seek reelection next year, according to a published report. Rep. Philip Travis, a Democrat from Rehoboth, told The Boston Globe he wants to spend more time with his family and pursue other interests, including teaching at a community college and researching Native American history in his district.

The conservative Democrat said he leaves at a time when the legislature is becoming more liberal, especially since house speaker Salvatore DiMasi took over in September 2004. "I stand on principle, and principle leads me to be more conservative," he said. "I could say, for who I see in the house today, that I am probably the most conservative Democrat in the house. And I am proud of that."

Travis, 65, has led the fight against same-sex marriage since the state's supreme judicial court legalized such unions in November 2003. He led the way in getting the legislature to pass a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage, and when support for that waned, he got behind another proposal for a same-sex marriage ban aimed at the 2008 ballot. He stayed true to the end, earlier this week attacking a bill that would allow pharmacies to sell hypodermic syringes without a prescription, saying it would encourage drug use.

Travis found himself agreeing with Gov. Mitt Romney, a Republican, on many issues. "It's too bad, because conservative Democrats are a vanishing breed in Massachusetts," Romney spokesman Eric Fehrnstrom said in an e-mail to the Globe. "Phil Travis works hard for his district, and he is a strong defender of traditional values. We're going to miss his voice in the legislature."

Conservative groups, including the Massachusetts Family Institute, will be losing an ally. "Phil is a champion, a true champion, for family values and for everything I think America and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts has stood for," said president Kris Mineau.

Travis has served 12 terms in the house, representing Rehoboth, Seekonk, and portions of Swansea and Norton. "I came in as someone who wanted to make a difference in government," he said. "I think I've done that to the best of my ability, and I'm leaving on a very high note that I accomplished very, very much."

He said his top accomplishments include several banking bills that he helped pass, including one that allows banks, credit unions, and other institutions to restructure mortgages during recessions. He also had his struggles. In 1998, while serving as chairman of the legislative banking committee, he solicited financial contributions for an Indian tribe in his district from several banks at a time when his committee was considering banking legislation. He paid a $1,500 fine and lost his chairmanship.

Even those who disagreed with Travis on same-sex marriage admired him. "As stridently as we disagree on [same-sex marriage], we've always worked very well together," said Arline Isaacson, cochairwoman of the Massachusetts Gay and Lesbian Political Caucus, adding that he has been a "positive and powerful" voice on many other issues, including higher education. (AP)

Reader Comments

These comments are reproduced as written by visitors to this Web site. They have not been edited for content, grammar, or spelling. The viewpoints appearing here are those of the writer, and do not necessarily reflect the opinion or views of advocate.com, The Advocate, or its affiliates.

Be the first to comment on this story.

Back to top

Submit a comment for this story:

*Type your comment here (Required, 1000 characters max. HTML formatting and hyperlinks are NOT permitted.):

*Name (Required): 

*Hometown (Required): 

*E-mail address: (Required, but will not be displayed)

Is this comment for publication? 
Yes   No

Daytime phone number: (Required for print publication only and will not be displayed)

Please enter the words you see in the box, in order and separated by a space. Doing so helps prevent automated programs from abusing this service.

  

If you would like to submit a comment for posting, please fill out the form above. 

All comments submitted via this form are subject to posting or publication. (To send a private letter to an Advocate editor or writer, please use the e-mail button at the top of the page, or use snail mail.) If you would like your comment considered for publication in The Advocate magazine, please include your full name, your city of residence, and a phone number where you can be reached during business hours so that we can confirm your identity. Your e-mail address and telephone number are strictly confidential and will not be shared or used for any purpose other than to contact you about your comment.

See the Contact page for sending comments for reasons other than responding to Advocate editorial and news stories.

Please note that comments sent by fax or snail mail are unlikely to be posted, although they will be considered for publication along with all letters received via e-mail or via this Web page. Comments that chiefly concern Advocate.com content will be considered for posting only on the Web site. The Advocate reserves the right to edit submitted comments for grammar, spelling, obscenities, or libel; we will, however, do our best to preserve the original comment's style and intent. Comments considered for publication in The Advocate magazine may also be edited for length.

More Exclusives
  • View From the Hill: The End of DADT?
    Defense Secretary Robert Gates revealed that lawyers are exploring ways to ease enforcement of the military's gay ban, but cautioned that the law doesn't leave much wiggle room. He need look no further than DOD history for a lesson in altering the policy.
  • Hot Sheet: Week of July 5
    When you get back from that big 4th of July barbecue, unwind with Sacha Baron Cohen's Bruno and your favorite B-movie-mocking, basic cable robots.
  • Hungry Like the Wolf
    A master of viola, ukulele, piano, and harp, Patrick Wolf is a music prodigy -- one who, the night before this interview, spit on a cop and got himself arrested.
  • Soapside: Advocate's Guide to Daytime
    Forbes March talks about playing gay, Otalia fans outraged, update on One Life to Live’s Patricia Maurceri’s firing over gay plot point, Phillip Chancellor III big reveal, and Erica Kane goes to Africa.
  • The Faces of Federal Prop. 8
    With the federal challenge to Prop. 8 moving full speed ahead, Advocate.com sits down with the two couples named as plaintiffs in the suit.
  • Mommy, the Gays Are Coming
    After a year of advancements and celebration for gay and lesbian Colombians, the community takes to the streets of Bogota for the country's biggest pride ever.
  • The Pride of Antwerp
    Advocate.com hits the gay-friendly streets of Antwerp with openly gay police commissioner Serge Muyters.
  • Excerpt: Mean Little Deaf Queer
    In an excerpt from her humorous and harrowing new memoir, Mean Little Deaf Queer, Terry Galloway recalls her early childhood, describing feelings of ugliness, confusion about gender, and being one of the boys.
  • Top Political Blogs
    From Joe.My.God to The Daily Beast, Advocate.com spotlights a few of the best blogs that cover politics, inside and way outside the Beltway.
  • The Diva of French Television
    A hot young screenwriter who has made gay OK for millions of French viewers, Nicolas Mercier sips champagne, dons a feathered hat, and says he wants to see Colin Farrell and Jude Law go at it.