Mass. High Court Strikes Down Gay Marriage Ban
Judges Find Law Barring Same-Sex Unions Unconstitutional
Massachusetts' highest court rules that gay couples have a legal right to wed.
All Things Considered, November 18, 2003 · The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court rules that a law banning same-sex marriages is unconstitutional. The four-to-three opinion says gay couples are legally entitled to marry under the state constitution. But the ruling stops short of allowing marriage licenses to be issued to the seven gay couples who had challenged the law.
The court has given the state legislature a six-month deadline to reconcile law with the state's constitution. Massachusetts lawmakers had already been considering a constitutional amendment that would legally define marriage as a union between one man and one woman. It is unclear how the legislature will respond to the ruling, but the decision is sure to ignite state discussions across the country. Follow NPR coverage:
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