Gay-rights backers, foes alike slam posting of names on Web

By Maggie Mulvihill, Boston Herald | September 9, 2005

Talk about strange bedfellows: Leading gay activists and those fiercely opposed to same-sex marriage formed an alliance yesterday, calling on a North Shore couple to remove a Web site listing the names and home addresses of people who sign a petition backing a constitutional ban on gay marriage.

"If they really wanted to be helpful in protecting equal marriage rights, they can show their support by talking to people and sharing stories, not by putting up this silly, mean-spirited Web site," said Marty Rouse, campaign director for MassEquality, a coalition of gay rights groups.

". . . I appreciate the professionalism of the colleagues across the aisle that this is not in the best interests of the type of campaign we would like to run," said Kristian Mineau, president of the Massachusetts Family Institute, leaders of the petition drive.

The Herald reported yesterday that Tom Lang, 42, and his partner, Alex Westerhoff, 36, both of Manchester-by-the-Sea, created the Web site KnowthyNeighbor.org.

They plan to use the site to post the names and home addresses of those signing the petition - information that is available at the Secretary of State's office. Some 65,825 signatures of registered voters are needed to get the measure on the ballot.

Attorney General Tom Reilly certified the petition Wednesday. If enough valid signatures are collected, the amendment to ban gay marriage will be put to the state's voters in the 2008 election.

Lang said he was not advocating that supporters of gay marriage use the Web site to harass signers, but to be informed about their foes in the same-sex marriage fight.

Secretary of State William F. Galvin said there is nothing illegal about posting the names on the Internet.

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