Pro-gay proposal falls short in New Haven

A proposal to acknowledge same-sex unions in New Haven, Conn., has fallen one vote short of approval. A simple majority of the 30-member board of aldermen was needed Monday night for the proposal to pass. However, only 15 aldermen voted in favor of it, while nine said no and four abstained. Another two were absent. "I think there were more in that room that would've been in favor, but there was a lot of political pressure," said alderman Benjamin Healey, a Yale University student who introduced the proposal. The ordinance amendment would have allowed the registrar of vital statistics to issue certificates acknowledging domestic partnerships between same-sex and unmarried heterosexual couples. Several aldermen said they had received many phone calls and E-mail messages and even threats of a primary challenge this year if they supported the measure.