| Mass. court strikes down gay marriage ban |
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| Posted by yonif On 11/18/2003 3:13 PM CST with 9 comments UPI ^ | 11/18/2003 | Michael Kirkland WASHINGTON, Nov. 18 (UPI) -- Massachusetts's highest court Tuesday ruled 4-3 that the state cannot ban "same-sex" civil marriages and gave the state Legislature 180 days to change state law. The ruling by the state's Supreme Judicial Court was made strictly under the Massachusetts Constitution's guarantee of equal protection and did not refer to the U.S. Constitution or to the precedents of the Supreme Court of the United States. Barring a state constitutional amendment to reverse the ruling, Massachusetts would become the first state to recognize homosexual civil marriage. Vermont recognizes same-sex civil unions, though it does not recognize same-sex... |
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| Massachusetts Gay marriage decision met with optism, dismay |
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| Posted by NYer On 11/18/2003 2:48 PM CST with 32 comments AP Wire (breaking on direct feed) | November 18, 2003 | MARTIN FINUCANE BOSTON (AP) _ For some, it was an occasion to pop champagne corks and start planning spring weddings. For others, it was cause for dismay over what they saw as the further erosion of traditional family values. The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court's ruling that same-sex couples are legally entitled to wed under the state constitution drew both praise and criticism Tuesday from around Massachusetts and the nation. And both supporters and opponents of gay marriage warned that the battle may not be over. The high court's 4-3 ruling opened the door for gay marriages in the state. But for some... |
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