Show me the Money!

Beacon Hill's seeing shades of green as it weighs whether or not to repeal 1913's laws that prevent out-of-state couples from marrying in Massachusetts if glbt. A prediction: 1913's going down in flames, as it should. Why? Here's something that's tough to turn down:

Consider these numbers: An estimated 32,200 same-sex couples from elsewhere would travel to the state to get married over the next three years. That would pump $111 million into the economy and yield another $5 million in marriage license fees and sales and occupancy taxes.

There's obviously a lot to gain by embracing equality, no matter how anyone slices it.

"It's rare when doing the right thing and economic benefits go so closely hand-in-hand," said Marc Solomon, executive director of MassEquality, a coalition advocating same-sex marriage rights.

Indeed, Marc. It's certainly nice to know that the easy decisions can sometimes be the right decisions. Thankfully, this is one of those cases - which is exactly why the repeal should pass by wide margins.

And equality's on the march!