Other liberals went further to charge that the amendment is a form of discrimination. Rep. John Lewis, D-Ga., a longtime civil rights leader for blacks, said the amendment "chips away at the foundation of equal protection for all in our society. . . . I have fought too hard and too long against discrimination based on race and color not to stand up against discrimination based on sexual orientation."

He added that allowing civil unions instead of gay marriage is not enough. "We have been down this road before in this country. Separate is not equal."

Conservatives disagreed.

"This is the issue in a nutshell," said Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution. "Either you believe that traditional marriage is about discrimination and therefore must be invalidated by the courts, or you believe traditional marriage is about children and must be protected by the Constitution."

Richard Richardson, an African Methodist Episcopal preacher from Boston, said disintegrating families, and lack of both a father and mother in the home, is the greatest problem facing the African American community — and said allowing gay marriage would weaken it more, and hurt blacks especially.

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