Gay couples entitled to marry - US court

The Massachusetts high court declared that gays are entitled to nothing less than marriage and that civil unions will not suffice, setting the stage for the first legally sanctioned same-sex weddings in the US.

The court issued the advisory opinion yesterday at the request of legislators who wanted to know whether civil unions would be enough to satisfy the court after its November ruling that said gay couples are entitled to all the rights of marriage. That decision had been written in such a way that it left open the possibility that civil unions might be allowed.