Franzen Votes Yes on Gay Marriage to Pave Way for ‘Happily Ever After’

Sen. Melisa Franzen (DFL-District 49) sought to move her fellow legislators by reading from a letter written by a mother who learned her son was gay in 2011, just as the gay marriage debate was ramping up in Minnesota.

The letter she read stated:

We began traveling with our son to new territory—and with the marriage amendment, it was public territory. … It was heartbreaking. Each voter who convinced himself of zero-sum morality—that if his family was good, mine must be evil—plunged another knife into my heart. No one will convince me that I gave birth to evil, that my son chose evil or that he deserves barriers to his happiness. I want for him what I want for all four of my children: happily ever after. I want him to find someone to love for the rest of his life. I want to dance at his wedding. I want him to be able to have a family. I want to be able to babysit his children, my grandchildren.

“And today, members, I want to allow my constituent and her son to begin ‘happily ever after.’ Please vote green,” Franzen concluded.

The measure passed in the Senate on a 37 to 30 vote following passage in the House on Thursday. Gov. Mark Dayton said he will sign the bill into law, and the law would take affect on Aug. 1 of this year.