“We’re going to continue to protect traditional marriage in those lawsuits,” Stanley said.

The group has filed a lawsuit with the Massachusetts SJC asking the court to overturn its ruling, but Stanley admitted that suit would “probably not” succeed.

The Massachusetts State Legislature granted preliminary approval in March to a state constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage but allowing for civil unions. The amendment must be passed again by next year’s Legislature before being put to a statewide ballot referendum.

“I think the lack of public uproar in Massachusetts is telling—the sky didn’t fall on May 17,” said Cambridge City Councillor Brian P. Murphy ’86-’87, referring to the date when the state first issued marriage licenses to same-sex couples.

“I hope that the legislature recognizes this, and does not continue with the attempt to deny one group of people equal treatment by referendum,” added Murphy, who co-sponsored a resolution in February that paved the way for Cambridge to become the first city in the Bay State to issue the licenses.

—Staff writer Michael M. Grynbaum can be reached at grynbaum@fas.harvard.edu.

—Staff writer Jessica R. Rubin-Wills can be reached at rubinwil@fas.harvard.edu.