Before the vote, the board heard public comment. James Muffet, an Eaton Rapids resident, asked the trustees to vote against the resolution. He said that by passing it, trustees would be legitimizing "abhorrent" and "destructive" behavior.

Kay Palinski, an MSU alumna, also spoke against the resolution. She said the resolution is unfair because it "gives the homosexual label benefits over the friendship label," leaving out people who live together but who are not partners.

Leo Sell, the chair of the MSU Administrative Professional Association, said he supported the resolution, but with one recommended change.

Sell urged trustees to change the resolution to include all unmarried domestic partners.

"It's a step toward no longer selectively invalidating relationships," Sell said.

After the resolution's passage, supporters said they welcomed the board's decision.

John Huebler, president of the Gay and Lesbian Faculty and Staff Association, said he believed tabling the issue would have been counterproductive.

"I think today was the right time to do this," he said. "All the research is done. I'm not aware of any questions left to be answered. I think this is a very bright day for the university."

Several students were present at the meeting. "My heart was in my throat," said first-year veterinary medicine student Shannon Maynard. "I heard so much emotion from everyone, both for and against. I was just praying that it would pass."

To receive the benefits, same-sex couples must meet a list of criteria outlined in the resolution. Some of the requirements say the couples must:

* be in a long-term, committed relationship, have been in the relationship for at least six months and intend to remain in the relationship indefinitely.

* not be married to others, and have no other domestic partner.

* not be related close enough to bar marriage in Michigan.

* share a residence and have done so for at least six months.

* provide a "signed partnership" agreement with MSU that obligates each party to provide support for one another, and provides for a substantially equal division, upon termination of the relationship, of earnings during the relationship and any property acquired with those earnings.