BOSTON--The controversial gay rights bill, which is entering its 16th year before the State Legislature, was sent to the Senate yesterday by the narrowest of committee votes.

The Senate Ways and Means Committee endorsed the bill to ban discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation by a vote of 7-6 with one member, Sen. Robert Wetmore (D-Barre) reserving his rights.

Sen. Michael Barrett (D-Cambridge), the chief sponsor of the bill, praised the committee's swift action on the measure, coming two weeks after the panel received it, compared to the four-and-one-half months the committee held it last year.

Senate Ways and Means Chairman Patricia McGovern, a supporter, "did us an enormous favor," Barrett said. "We need an accelerated, decent treatment of this bill at every stage. Not accelerated in the sense that it is rushed. But we must avoid the delay tactics that swamped the bill last year."

Sen. Joseph Walsh (D-Boston) tried and failed yesterday to postpone Ways and Means action on the bill for one month.

The bill, affecting discrimination in housing, employment, credit and public accommodations, passed the House and won a majority in the Senate last year. But before the measure could get a final Senate vote, it was sent to a committee headed by opponent Sen. Arthur Lewis (D-Boston), who refused to release the bill.

The measure, which has Gov. Michael S. Dukakis' backing, ultimately died in the 1987 session because supporters failed to muster the two-thirds Senate majority needed to pull the bill out of Lewis' committee.

Senate Strategy

Supporters are hoping that by moving the bill through the legislative process earlier this year, and starting that process in the Senate, that they can avoid the parliamentary maneuvers that led to the Lewis logjam.

Arline lsaacson, lobbyist for the Massachusetts Gay and Lesbian political Caucus, said, "We are hoping we won't face...[asking] senators to take a vote which they view as a challenge to their [Senate] leadership."

Even with yesterday's committee victory, Isaacson and Barrett hesitated to predict the bill might finally pass the Legislature this year, saying they feared the 1988 election year would shorten the legislative session and could cause some lawmakers who supported the bill last year to change their minds.

"The cards are stacked against us as far as this particular legislative year, but I think it's important that we try" to pass it, Isaacson said.

The gay rights bill isn't expected to be debated by the Senate until after the chamber considers the fiscal 1989 budget, which could put the gay rights debate off until the Legislature returns from its summer break after Labor Day.

"The Senate would do well to move this thing along, to wage its battles and to get this bill to the House," Barrett said. "I don't think this is a bill that we want sitting around through the Democratic primary and through the November final [election.] It makes sense to move this hot potato right along."