Happy 1st Birthday, Gay Marriage!

Today, many Massachusetts gay and lesbian couples are celebrating their one-year wedding anniversary. Since May 17, 2004, Massachusetts has granted marriage licenses to more than 6,000 same-sex couples.
Journalists and activists are using the occassion to issue status reports on gay marriage. A Boston Globe poll released today shows that in Massachusetts support for same-sex marriage has grown since the state legalized it. But the poll also reveals the country is pretty evenly divided when it comes to support for same-sex marriage and gay rights.
Public opinion aside, the legislative gay-marriage backlash has been significant. In May 2004, only 3 states had constitutional amendments prohibiting gay marriage. But 11 states amended their constitutions during the November elections to ban same-sex marriage. Gay men and lesbians are now denied marriage rights in a total of 18 states – and that number is likely to rise. Texas is part way through approving a gay-marriage ban. Several other states have proposals pending.
The Intelligence Report gets into the details of the gay-marriage backlash with its in-depth coverage of the anti-gay crusade. If you feel like getting riled up, check out the hate speech slideshow, in which pillars of the religious right repeatedly decry the evils of both feminism and homosexuality.