U.S. Supreme Court Rejects Appeal of Gay Marriage Law. What a beautiful headline. Once Bush gets his grubby hands on this court, don’t expect to see any like this again. (AP):

The Supreme Court on Monday rejected a challenge to the only state that allows gay marriages, declining to hear an appeal aimed at overturning the Massachusetts law that prompted a national debate on the legality and morality of same-sex unions.

…The decision ended the legal fight over a 4-3 Massachusetts high court ruling last November giving gay couples the right to marry. But both sides say the U.S. Supreme Court’s unwillingness to intervene means there will be more fights in courts and legislatures around the country.

“Activist judges are seeking to redefine marriage for the rest of society, and the people’s voice is not being heard in this process,” said presidential spokesman Scott McClellan. “That’s why the president is committed to moving forward with Congress on a constitutional amendment that would protect the sanctity of marriage.”

Lambda and other gay-rights groups were heartened that the Supreme Court let the ruling of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court stand. In the past year, at least 3,000 gay Massachusetts couples have wed.

“The bottom line is nobody is being harmed by the Massachusetts state law treating all couples equally,” said David Buckel, Lambda’s legal marriage project director.

…Massachusetts voters may have a chance next year to change the state constitution to bar gay marriages but allow same-sex couples to form civil unions that make them eligible for the same benefits as married couples.

Legal analysts said the Supreme Court’s decision to stay out of the battle wasn’t surprising, because the lawsuit made a rarely used claim that activist Massachusetts judges had violated the U.S. Constitution’s guarantee of a republican form of government.

Legal challenges elsewhere in state and federal courts — including whether other states must recognize Massachusetts’ gay marriages — are likely as the nation grapples with the issue, said Charles Fried, a Harvard law professor who sat on the Massachusetts high court from 1995-99.

Also: AmericaBlog has an action item on board. Rob in Baltimore has a list of all the Massachusetts State Representatives and State Senators that signed onto the rejected lawsuit. Massachusetts folks need to let those *sswipes know what bigots they are, and that folks will vote accordingly when they are up for re-election.