Defining Marriage

But supporters of the bill maintain their purpose is to emphasize the traditional family, not to target homosexuals.

Supporters of the bill included several area religious leaders, who held a press conference early yesterday at the Omni Hotel.

The religious leaders stressed the importance of the traditional family as a reason for supporting the proposed bill.

Alveda King, the niece of Martin Luther King Jr., said the institution of marriage provided for future generations.

"The best institution for raising children is a husband and wife, a man and a lady married," said King, who has served on the Georgia legislature and who

"This bill attempts to continue an institutionthat will be the most successful for continuinggenerations of children, the institution offamily," King said.

Rev. Gilbert A. Thompson, pastor of NewCovenant Christian Center, the largest blackchurch in New England, also stressed theimportance of the traditional family.

"We came to proactively support the waymarriage has been viewed for centuries," Thompsonsaid. "We are not coming against anyone. Thisissue goes further to tear down the family."

"It seeks to destroy family as we know it, andthe health of the family is related to the healthof society," he said.

Thompson also noted that the bill was apreemptive move against legalized same-sexmarriage. Massachusetts currently recognizesmarriages performed under other states'jurisdictions. If gay marriage were legalized inother states, and couples married there then movedto Massachusetts, the law would currentlyrecognize those marriages. If this bill passed,though, the state would no longer be required torecognize these marriages.

"This bill is to settle through the democraticprocess...what marriage is and has been forhundreds of years," said Matthew Daniels, head ofthe Massachusetts Family Institute, whichsponsored the religious delegation.

Among other leaders, the delegation includedrepresentatives from the Roman CatholicArchdiocese of Boston, the Islamic Center of NewEngland, area synagogues and churches, and theChinese Evangelical Church.

Empty Words?

Yesterday's hearing saw supporters from bothsides arguing in favor of and against the bill.

The seemingly innocuous bill has come underfire because both opponents and proponents see itas a preemptive move on the future of gay marriagein Massachusetts.