About damn Time!
Court says gay couples have legal right to wed under state constitution
(Boston-AP) -- A partial victory for gay rights advocates. Massachusetts' highest court has ruled that gay couples are legally entitled to wed under the state constitution.
But the ruling stops short of allowing marriage licenses for several gay couples who had sued the state for the right to marry.
In a four-to-three ruling, the court is ordering state lawmakers to come up with a solution within six months.
The state Legislature is already considering a constitutional amendment that would legally define a marriage as a union between one man and one woman.
The Massachusetts court ruling closely matches a 1999 Vermont Supreme Court decision, which led to Vermont lawmakers eventually approving civil unions that give same-sex couples many of the same benefits of marriage.
**more on this post later today**
(Boston-AP) -- A partial victory for gay rights advocates. Massachusetts' highest court has ruled that gay couples are legally entitled to wed under the state constitution.
But the ruling stops short of allowing marriage licenses for several gay couples who had sued the state for the right to marry.
In a four-to-three ruling, the court is ordering state lawmakers to come up with a solution within six months.
The state Legislature is already considering a constitutional amendment that would legally define a marriage as a union between one man and one woman.
The Massachusetts court ruling closely matches a 1999 Vermont Supreme Court decision, which led to Vermont lawmakers eventually approving civil unions that give same-sex couples many of the same benefits of marriage.
**more on this post later today**