marriage. This new amendment sought to ban same-sex marriage without creating an alternative institution for same-sex couples. This amendment was brought as an initiative petition, requiring collection of a certain number of voters' signatures, followed by a vote of one-quarter of legislators meeting in joint session in both the 2005-2006 legislative session and the 2007-2008 session. The Massachusetts legislature adopted this amendment just before its 2005-2006 session ended, but defeated it during its 2007-2008 session. Other activities Following the defeat of the amendment, MassEquality expanded its mission to work for equal rights and opportunities for all LGBT people from cradle to grave—in schools, in marriage and family life, at work and in retirement. Since that expansion, it helped pass a statewide anti-bullying law and secured an executive order from Governor Deval Patrick prohibiting discrimination against transgender people in state agencies and state contracts. Kara Suffredini, an attorney with over a decade of LGBT policy and movement experience, was appointed executive director in 2010. In 2021, MassEquality moved to Worcester, to better support its shift in focus to prioritize local organizing and education, in pursuit of lived equality, statewide, in addition to its traditional lobbying and electoral activities. Parade invitation On February 28, 2014, following pressure on the part of Boston Mayor Martin J. Walsh, the organizers of South Boston's St. Patrick's Day Parade, which had banned open participation by gay organizations for 20 years and in 1995 won a Supreme Court case that supported their stance, announced that MassEquality would be welcome to participate in the parade. It set conditions that MassEquality's marchers not wear shirts or carry signs that display the word gay or refer to sexual orientation. One organizer said: "They can march under the MassEquality banner. We'd be happy to have them here. And we’d be proud to have them here. Everybody knows who MassEquality is." MassEquality leaders welcomed the opportunity to discuss the question with parade organizers directly and said: "MassEquality has not accepted any invitation to march, and will only consider accepting an invitation that allows LGBT people to march openly.... LGBT people should not have to silence who they are to celebrate other parts of their identities." See also MassResistance LGBT rights in Massachusetts Same-sex marriage in Massachusetts List of LGBT rights organizations References External links Official site LGBT political advocacy groups in Massachusetts Organizations based in Boston 2001 establishments in Massachusetts Organizations established