<p>A new controversey has erupted around the issue of gay marriage, as some black leaders have been outraged by comparisons being drawn between the civil rights movement (search) and the right of homosexuals to marry.</p>
<p>Observers have been drawing similarities between the two movements since the Massachusetts Supreme Court ruled last week that the state's constitution guarantees gay couples the right to marry. The court cited landmark laws that struck down bans on interracial marriage (search), but conservative black leaders object to the comparisons, arguing that sexual orientation is a choice.</p>