EDGE Boston

The House and Senate postponed the Constitutional Converntion until June 14th, effectively setting the date for a vote on the amendment that seeks to ban gay marriage in Massachusetts.

The Constutional Convention was only open for a matter of minutes this afternoon.

Senate President Therese Murray is opposed to the amendment that would ban same-sex in Massachusetts and says she’ll work to defeat it. But Murray has promised to allow the amendment to come up for a vote.

Having received the support of more than 25 percent of the previous Legislature, the amendment needs a similar margin of support in the current Legislature to advance to the 2008 state ballot.

"We’re working pretty relentlessly to convince legislators that it would be bad for Massachusetts," said Marc Solomon, the campaign director for MassEquality.

But opponents of gay marriage say they’re making headway.

In an interview with Channel 5, Kris Mineau, president of the Massachusetts Family Institute, the organization that collected the signatures required to move the petition forward in 2004, felt confident that the vote will result in the question being put to Massachusetts voters.

"Fifty-three of those who cast votes with us very clearly have returned and have stated publicly and to their constituents that they will vote that way again," he stated in the interview. "Plus we have four new lawmakers who say they will support us."

Solomon and his organization continue to emphasize the need for supporters of gay marriage to get directly involved with sate lawmakers.

""We’re asking them to talk to legislators that they know to vote down the amendment, telling them it would be bad for Massachusetts, that it would be a major distraction," Solomon said.

Activists on both sides are gearing up for an intense battle for votes over the next five weeks.