Gay-marriage ban questioned
The week's news at a glance.
Boston
The highest court in Massachusetts ruled this week that the state’s ban on gay marriage was unconstitutional. The Supreme Judicial Court ordered the Legislature to resolve the issue within six months, launching what threatened to be a bitter debate. Some lawmakers want to make gay marriage legal, but others have proposed amending the state constitution to define marriage as a union between one man and one woman. Lawyers for seven gay couples who had sued for the right to wed said they were disappointed that the justices didn’t legalize gay marriage immediately. Chief Justice Margaret Marshall said that the state should be happy to have any couples, gay or straight, committing to marriage. “It brings stability to our society,” she said.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
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.
-
Taking aim at Venezuela’s autocrat
Feature The Trump administration is ramping up military pressure on Nicolás Maduro. Is he a threat to the U.S.?
-
Comey indictment: Is the justice system broken?
Feature U.S. attorney Lindsey Halligan has indicted former FBI Director James Comey on charges of lying and obstructing Congress
-
Government shuts down amid partisan deadlock
Feature As Democrats and Republicans clash over health care and spending, the shutdown leaves 750,000 federal workers in limbo