Blow to same-sex marriage proponents

Same-sex marriage, which earlier this month suffered a huge setback in the State of New York, was handed another blow in Massachusetts yesterday when Massachusetts' Supreme Judicial Court validated a proposed constitutional amendment that seeks to outlaw gay weddings in a 2008 ballot measure.

Gay-marriage advocates contend that because same-sex marriage was made legal in 2003 by an SJC ruling, the proposed ballot question would run afoul of that prohibition. [See Goodridge et al v Dept of Public Health decided November 18, 2003]

The court's unanimous decision was a major victory yesterday for opponents of same-sex marriage.

To read more about the court's decision, see "Gay-marriage opponents get SJC go-ahead" by Scott Helman. The Boston Globe.

The court's decision, Johanna SCHULMAN vs. ATTORNEY GENERAL & another; Raymond Flynn & others, interveners. SJC-09684 July 10, 2006 may be read here.

Issues involving same-sex couples and cohabitation have long been of special interest to Jeanne Hannah. To contact Jeanne Hannah with your questions or to view her Family Law website, click here.