Boston
Massachusetts lawmakers this week approved a state constitutional amendment that would ban gay marriage but legalize same-sex civil unions. To become official, the ban must pass in a statewide referendum in November 2006. In the meantime, gay couples in the state will be able to marry beginning May 17, when a Supreme Judicial Court decision legalizing same-sex marriage takes effect. House Speaker Thomas Finneran said the issue had created a “social and cultural and even spiritual storm” that was dividing Massachusetts and the nation. In Congress, Republicans ran into opposition within their own party to a proposed amendment to the U.S. Constitution that would define marriage as a union between a man and a woman.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
