Is it a victory or defeat? - Call me a pessimist, but I think it is still too early to tell what will come of the Massachusetts ruling today. While the court passed the buck to the legislature, it didn't leave as much wiggle room as the Vermont court did in 1999, which led to that state's separate but equal "civil unions." That might require the legislature either to bite the bullet and pronouce true gay marriage or to endorse a constitutional amendment against gay marriage. (Could they possibly do both, while establishing civil unions to come into effect when the amendment does?) I have no notion of statewide politics in Massachusetts, but I have heard that BYU-graduate Governor Romney is not quite the straight ally we had in Howard Dean, and the speaker of the state assembly is likewise opposed. It seems the leader of the state senate backs civil unions. (I'm sure there will be more in-depth analysis of that issue but here's a quick take from the Boston Globe.) Hold tight, and let's see where this takes us.