Metro Weekly

Once a top LGBT opponent, Mass. Lt. Gov. signals change of heart

Karyn Polito, once the face of anti-marriage equality movement, now casts herself as an ally and advocate for the LGBT community

“You are questioning…my personal and heartfelt embracement of marriage for everyone. Whether you want to believe me or not, my actions will obviously prove, beyond you, my sincerity and commitment.“

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–Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito (R-Mass.), as quoted in an article by Boston Globe columnist Yvonne Abraham. Polito, who once led the charge against marriage equality in the Bay State and attempted to force a vote on a ballot initiative that would have banned the practice, has since declared her support for same-sex marriage. She is also working closely with a commission tasked with fighting homelessness, depression and suicide among LGBT youth. Polito has bristled when people, including Abraham, question whether her change of heart is politically motivated, insisting that she has changed her views because of encounters with gay and lesbian parents that she has met. “I know in my heart that they as parents want the same things my husband and I want for our kids,” she told Abraham.

Image: Mass. Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito. Image credit: Office of Gov. Charlie Baker.