The Boston GlobeNECNThe Same-Sex Marriage Debate
MainMassachusetts Constitutional ConventionMassachusetts Supreme Judicial CourtCaliforniaUS Constitutional AmendmentPoliticsOpinion
Wedding day
Cambridge residents Don Picard, 42, (left) and Robert DeBenedictis, 42, have been together 12 years and have two children, Carmen, 5, and James, 23 months. (Dina Rudick, Globe Staff)

First gays marry;
many seek licenses

More than 1,000 gay and lesbian couples streamed into city and town halls across the state on May 17 seeking licenses to marry, as Mass. marked the first day of legalized same-sex matrimony. (Globe Staff, 5/18/04)

R.I., Conn. may
grant recognition

The attorneys general of Rhode Island and Connecticut yesterday raised the possibility that Massachusetts gay marriages will be honored in their states. (Globe Staff, 5/18/04)

Interactive features

First day of gay marriage First day of gay marriage
Photos and audio from May 17, the first day of same-sex marriage in Massachusetts. (Presentation requires Flash)
Meet the Goodridges Meet the Goodridges
Hillary and Julie Goodridge were the lead plaintiffs in the landmark gay marriage lawsuit. (Presentation requires Flash)

Photo galleries

Also from the Globe

Best Men: A special series
Best Men: A special series
When two brothers plan to marry (one in a gay wedding and the other in a traditional one) a window opened, showing what marriage is, isn't, and can be.
Mother and daughter celebrating
A Year After Gay Marriage
A year after Massachusetts allowed gay marriages, a Globe poll shows a nation divided. Not since Roe v. Wade has a court decision so divided Americans.

Timeline

Since Nov. 18, when the Supreme Judicial Court ruled that gay couples have the right to marry, many other parts of the nation, as well as President Bush have become involved in the issue.
Gay marriage timeline

AP interactive feature

States' laws about gay marriage

Mass. Constitutional Convention

Vote ties civil unions to marriage ban

The Massachusetts Legislature voted March 29 to ban gay marriage and establish civil unions, approving a proposed constitutional amendment that would reverse the Supreme Judicial Court's historic ruling that legalized same-sex marriages. (Globe Staff, 3/30/04)

The national scene

Governor, election official spar over gay marriage in Mo.

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Missouri's governor and chief election official are sparring over the timing of a vote on a proposed constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage. It is a dispute that could complicate efforts for Democrats during November's presidential contest. (Associated Press, 5/21/04)

US Constitutional Amendment

The same-sex marriage argument that Justice Scalia fears

WITH MASSACHUSETTS in the bag, gay marriage advocates are looking for their next victory. So far, the other states in the union haven't been easy sells -- to the contrary, their legislatures have been throwing up barricades in the form of proposed constitutional amendments preserving traditional nuptials. (Boston Globe, 5/16/04)
Speech text
'Our government should . . . protect the institution'
The following is the text of President Bush's speech calling for a constitutional amendment defining marriage as a union between a man and a woman.

Mass. Supreme Judicial Court

SJC affirms gay marriage

The Supreme Judicial Court on Feb. 5 put Massachusetts on course to become the first state in the nation to allow gays to marry, deciding that a proposed civil unions bill for gay couples would establish "an unconstitutional, inferior, and discriminatory status for same-sex couples." (Boston Globe, 2/5/04)
Text of original decision
Microsoft Word
Adobe Acrobat (PDF)
Text of advisory opinion
Majority opinions
Dissenting opinions

2004 Presidential Candidates' Stances

Mrs. Bush welcomes gay-issues debate

Laura Bush yesterday called gay marriage "an issue that a lot of people have a lot of trouble with," but she stopped short of endorsing a federal constitutional amendment to ban same-sex unions. (Boston Globe, 5/20/04)