[huud-l] CNN.com - Massachusetts court rules ban on gay marriage unconstitutional - Nov.

Mon Dec 1 12:35:13 EST 2003

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Massachusetts court rules ban on gay marriage unconstitutional

  <http://i.cnn.net/cnn/images/1.gif> 	
 Julie Goodridge, left, and Hillary Goodridge, one of seven couples who
sued for the right to wed, go to a news conference in Boston.
<http://i.cnn.net/cnn/2003/LAW/11/18/samesex.marriage.ruling/story.goodr
idge.ap.jpg> 
Julie Goodridge, left, and Hillary Goodridge, one of seven couples who
sued for the right to wed, go to a news conference in Boston. 
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<javascript:LaunchVideo('/politics/2003/11/19/dl.gay.mrg.ruling.cnn.','3
00k');>  CNN's Dan Lothian reports that opponents in the Massachusetts
Legislature vow to fight a state court ruling that legalizes same-sex
marriages.
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With a fight for same-sex marriages being waged, CNN's Kitty Pilgrim
looks at the responsibility marriage brings.
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Massachusetts high court rules in favor of gay marriage.
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<javascript:LaunchVideo('/law/2003/11/18/sot.glad.presser.wcvb.','300k')
;>  Plaintiffs' attorney Mary Bonauto praises the decision.
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QUICKVOTE

Should the Massachusetts Legislature move to allow same-sex marriages?

Yes 		
No 		

VIEW
<javascript:CNN_openPopup('/POLLSERVER/results/7330.html','popuppoll','t
oolbar=no,location=no,directories=no,status=no,menubar=no,scrollbars=no,
resizable=no,width=620,height=430')> RESULTS	 	

RELATED

<javascript:CNN_openPopup('/interactive/allpolitics/0307/same.sex.marria
ges/frameset.exclude.html','620x430','toolbar=no,location=no,directories
=no,status=no,menubar=no,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,width=620,height=430
')>  Interactive: State-by-state:
<javascript:CNN_openPopup('/interactive/allpolitics/0307/same.sex.marria
ges/frameset.exclude.html','620x430','toolbar=no,location=no,directories
=no,status=no,menubar=no,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,width=620,height=430
')> Same-sex marriages 

 <http://www.cnn.com/2003/ALLPOLITICS/07/02/bush.gay/index.html>  Bush
uncertain about gay marriage
<http://www.cnn.com/2003/ALLPOLITICS/07/02/bush.gay/index.html> ban 

<http://www.cnn.com/2003/LAW/05/20/findlaw.analysis.grossman.civilunions
.txt/>  FindLaw's Joanna Grossman: Assessing
<http://www.cnn.com/2003/LAW/05/20/findlaw.analysis.grossman.civilunions
.txt/> civil unions 

. Interactive: Polls
<javascript:CNN_openPopup('/interactive/allpolitics/0311/marriage.polls/
frameset.exclude.html','620x430','toolbar=no,location=no,directories=no,
status=no,menubar=no,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,width=620,height=430')>
on same-sex marriages 
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. Read the ruling: Goodridge v. Dept. of Public Health
<http://news.findlaw.com/cnn/docs/conlaw/goodridge111803opn.pdf>
(FindLaw, PDF) external link
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<http://www.state.ma.us/courts/courtsandjudges/courts/supremejudicialcou
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Court strikes down sodomy law 

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(CNN) -- The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court has cleared the way
for lesbian and gay couples in the state to marry, ruling Tuesday that
government attorneys "failed to identify any constitutionally adequate
reason" to deny them the right. 

In a 4-3 ruling, the court gave the Massachusetts state Legislature six
months to rewrite the state's marriage laws for the benefit of gay
couples. 

The ruling by the court on the Massachusetts Constitution could set new
legal ground, and drew quick reaction from advocates on both sides of
the issue. Massachusetts' governor immediately denounced Tuesday's
decision and said he would work for a constitutional amendment to
overturn it. But an openly gay U.S. congressman from the state said the
amendment couldn't come before the voters before 2006, and by that time
same-sex marriages will be law. 

President Bush waded into the debate with a statement criticizing the
ruling. 

"Marriage is a sacred institution between a man and a woman," he said.
"Today's decision ... violates this important principle. I will work
with congressional leaders and others to do what is legally necessary to
defend the sanctity of marriage." 

Bush stopped short of saying he would support an effort by some
Republicans in Congress to pass a federal constitutional amendment
outlawing same-sex marriage, which would trump the Massachusetts court. 

Analysts said the state Legislature could write laws legalizing same-sex
marriages, or it could do nothing and let Tuesday's ruling go forward.
Same-sex marriage opponents could also appeal Tuesday's decision to the
U.S. Supreme Court during the next six months. 

Vermont is the only state in the United States that allows same-sex
couples the rights and benefits of marriage. Vermont calls them civil
unions, rather than marriage. California's State Assembly recently
passed a domestic partnership law to provide similar benefits, but it
stops short of allowing gays to marry. (States
<http://www.cnn.com/2003/LAW/11/18/states.marriage.laws/> determine
marriage laws) 

Governor suggests amendment drive

Legal observers said the Massachusetts case took a significant step
beyond the 1999 Vermont state Supreme Court decision that led to civil
unions in that state. (The ruling
<http://www.cnn.com/2003/LAW/11/18/samesex.ruling/> ) 

The Associated Press reported that many lawyers believe Tuesday's ruling
applies strictly to marriage and that creating a separate class of
domestic union -- such as civil unions -- would not be acceptable. 

Attorney Mary Bonauto, who represented the seven gay couples who sued
the state, said the only task assigned to the Legislature is to come up
with changes in the law that will allow gay couples to marry at the end
of the 180-day period, the AP reported. 

Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney said the state Legislature would comply
with the court's ruling "even if we don't agree with it." The governor
said he would ask lawmakers to initiate a constitutional amendment
process "that will be consistent with what I think the feelings are of
the commonwealth" about marriage. 

Rep. Barney Frank, D-Massachusetts, an openly gay congressman, said the
process for doing so would delay a vote until 2006. 

"My prediction is that when we in Massachusetts vote on this -- and we
almost certainly will in 2006 -- the reality will have overtaken the
fears," he said. 

In a paper statement he released immediately after the ruling was
released, Romney left the door open for some other way of recognizing
same-sex couples. 

"Of course," he said, "we must provide basic civil rights and
appropriate benefits to nontraditional couples, but marriage is a
special institution that should be reserved for a man and a woman." 

'Happiest day in our lives'

At a news conference after the ruling's release, the seven couples were
elated with Tuesday's ruling. 

"We have been together 32 years," said Gloria Bailey, whose partner,
Linda Davies, proposed on the way to the conference. "Without a doubt
this is the happiest day in our lives. The most important thing for us
is knowing whatever comes ahead in the rest of our lives, we now know we
can be at each others' sides." 

Connie Mackey of the Family Research Council criticized the ruling,
saying it was "a clear case of the courts overruling the majority
opinion of the people." 

"If the will of the people has anything to do with it ... the people
will throw out any legislator that upholds this ruling," she told CNN.
"The culture has seen the family unit for thousands of years as one man
and one woman for the purpose of raising children." 

  <http://i.cnn.net/cnn/images/1.gif> 	
 Justices of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court announced their
ruling Tuesday.
<http://i.cnn.net/cnn/2003/LAW/11/18/samesex.marriage.ruling/vert.massac
husetts.court.jpg> 
Justices of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court announced their
ruling Tuesday. 

Mackey also urged passage of a federal constitutional amendment barring
same-sex marriages. 

Elizabeth Birch, director of the gay rights organization Human Rights
Campaign, said that the courts are not obliged to support a majority of
the people. 

"If not for courts, African-Americans would not have had the right to
vote, women would not have the right to vote," she said. "The purpose of
a constitution is to protect a minority group from the wrath of the
majority." 

Both supporters and opponents of the right of same-sex couples to marry
had waited months for the decision. The court heard the case on March 4
and usually rules within 130 days of the hearing the case, but that
deadline passed in July. 

Survey shows opposition to same-sex marriage

Gay activists say the American judicial system is beginning to catch up
with modern society. 

In June the Supreme Court ruled that anti-sodomy laws are
unconstitutional. (Full story
<http://www.cnn.com/2003/LAW/06/26/scotus.sodomy/index.html> ) On June
10, an appeals court in the Canadian province of Ontario struck down a
ban on same-sex marriage. 

But a majority of people surveyed in late October said gay marriages
should not be legally recognized, according to a CNN/USA Today/Gallup
poll. According to the survey, 61 percent said no when asked whether gay
marriages should be recognized as valid by law. Thirty-five percent said
yes. 

The poll, taken October 24-26, surveyed 1,006 people and had an error
margin of plus or minus three percentage points. 

The same poll showed sharp difference on the issue based on gender.
According to the survey, 70 percent of men said no to legalizing gay
marriage while 26 percent supported such unions. The survey showed that
53 percent of women opposed gay marriages, while 43 percent supported
legalizing them. The question posed by gender had a sampling error of
plus or minus five percentage points. 

  _____  

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