If there was a comment, if would be "Mind your business, neighbor."
Top U.S. Court Denies Bid to Block Gay Marriage
Fri May 14, 2004 07:52 PM ET
By Mark Wilkinson
BOSTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday rejected a last-ditch challenge to block the scheduled start of gay marriages on Monday in Massachusetts, but conservative opponents vowed to continue fighting.
Massachusetts moved one step closer to becoming the only state in the nation where gay couples may legally marry as the Supreme Court denied without comment an emergency request for injunctive relief filed by conservative groups.
The 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals issued a similar rejection earlier in the day but said it would hear arguments in the case next month -- by which time hundreds, possibly thousands, of gay couples are expected to be legally married.
The last-minute legal challenge to gay marriage in Massachusetts was brought by a number of conservative groups and lawmakers from across the country. One of the plaintiffs, the Florida-based Liberty Counsel, said it would press for a halt to gay marriages at next month's hearing.
"The battle over same-sex marriage is far from over. In fact, it is just beginning," said Liberty Counsel President Mathew Staver. "The circumstances in Massachusetts underscore the need for a federal constitutional amendment to preserve marriage between one man and one woman."
