Jan 2, 2007 9:10 am US/Eastern
Protesters, Mass. Lawmakers Debate Gay Marriage
BOSTON (AP) ―
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Protesters rallied outside the Massachussetts Statehouse in November. Opponents and supporters gathered again Tuesday as the state legislature reconvened for its final day of the current session. (File)
AP
Crowds of gay marriage supporters and opponents waved signs outside the Statehouse as legislators arrived Tuesday for a possible vote on a constitutional amendment that would define marriage as the union of a man and a woman.
The amendment's backers collected 170,000 signatures to get it on the 2008 ballot, but it still needs the Legislature's approval.
Tuesday was the final day of the legislative session, and Senate President Robert Travaglini hasn't said if he'll force a vote. Last fall, the Legislature angered the amendment's backers and the governor when it recessed without voting on the issue.
"Legislators are sent to Beacon Hill to vote on a matter, not to not vote on a matter," said amendment backer Paul Ferro, 30, of Norton.
About 8,000 same-sex couples have wed in Massachusetts since the Supreme Judicial Court ruled in 2003 that the state Constitution guarantees gays the right to marry. A few other states offer civil unions with similar rights for gay couples, but only Massachusetts allows gay marriage.
The proposed amendment would leave all Massachusetts' existing same-sex marriages intact but would ban any more.
Backers of the amendment gathered at the foot of the Statehouse steps Tuesday with signs reading "Let the People Vote." Many argued it should be up to the people, not the courts, to define something as important as marriage.
Supporters of gay marriage, who held their own rally across Beacon Street, said the civil rights of a minority should not be put to a popular vote. "Let the people marry," read one retort.
Some lawmakers have said they wouldn't vote on the amendment issue because the ballot question would write discrimination into the constitution.
(© 2007 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
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