Last week's passage of a bill recognizing civil unions for same-sex couples by Vermont's State House of Representatives still leaves thorny questions about gay rights and marriage unsettled, Harvard activists on both sides of the issue said.

The bill, which will likely pass the State Senate and be signed into law by Gov. Howard Dean, gives gay and lesbian couples legal status nearly identical to that of straight couples.

It is by far the most sweeping measure of its kind in U.S. history.

David B. Orr '01, head of the Undergraduate Council Anti-homophobia Task Force, welcomed the news.

"I'm thrilled that Vermont has passed the most comprehensive domestic partner rights bill to date," Orr said.

"Any time that gay rights and equality are recognized it's a step in the right direction," said Anna M. Baldwin '00, a co-chair of the Bisexual, Gay, Lesbian, Transgender and Supporters' Alliance (BGLTSA), "But there are larger battles that have to be fought."

Though the Vermont bill gives gay and straight couples nearly the same legal rights, it recognizes gay partnerships as "civil unions" and explicitly states that marriage can only exist between a man and a woman.

Gay rights advocates see the distinction as a major fault in the bill.