Say NO to Rep John Rogers for Speaker

Many people know that State Speaker DiMasi will be stepping down as Speaker of the House. However, I did not realize that majority leader Rep. John Rogers from Norfolk, MA is the inside favorite to replace the North End Speaker.

Although Rogers has come around and now supports Gay Marriage. Rogers is hardly a progressive politician when it comes to social issues. A strong friend of Thomas Finneran - a convicted felon and enemy of the GLBT community - Rogers is a social conservative who has a very short record when it comes to supporting GLBT rights. I'm writing this blog entry hoping it will encourage others in MA to pick up their phone and flex some political muscle. Let your State Representative know that electing John Rogers to the Speaker of the House is BAD for the GLBT community and that you would rather they support someone else. Rogers has a long track record voting against many GLBT issues citing his conservative values as the reason.

I don't know much about the other 'favorite' to fill the shoes of Speaker DiMasi. Local papers all seem to agree that it is Rep. Robert Deleo from Winthrop. If you have anything to share about him, please leave a comment here for readers to see. I will be calling my State Representative from the South End tomorrow to voice my dissatisfaction with Rogers as the next potential Speaker of the House, and I would encourage you to do the same. You can find out who your State Representative is and how to encouarge them by linking here. I remember what it was like when Tom Finneran ran the State House, and I do not wish to return to those days.