MANY STATES ACTING TO BAR RECOGNITION OF MASS. SSM: From the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

At the stroke of midnight next Monday, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts will become the first state in the nation to begin processing marriage licenses to gay couples, an event so historic that even though it has not yet taken place, it already has sent shock waves across the country and spawned a frenzy of legislation. ...

Since the Massachusetts court's first ruling, two-thirds of the nation's state legislatures have introduced legislation that would either bar the recognition of same-sex marriages in their states or encourage a federal constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriages, a proposal that is now before Congress and supported by President Bush. ...

The legislation has met mixed success. While 23 states have introduced proposals to amend their constitutions to ban same-sex unions, 12 have failed, Goodman said. Five of the successful ones will be voted on in November, and two -- in Wisconsin and Massachusetts -- must be approved by their legislatures a second time before going to voters for approval. ...

The question nevertheless remains whether Americans will become more or less accepting of gay marriages once they become routine in Massachusetts.

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posted by Eve at 3:20 PM | link

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