Gay and lesbian couples began the year with the right to marry in Massachusetts, but also with concern that the right could be taken away.

The state's Supreme Judicial Court had ruled in their favor, but legal and legislative challenges loomed ahead.

The court ruling prevailed, and took effect on May 17, when Massachusetts made history by becoming the first state in the country to allow same-sex marriage.

Even an attempt by Gov. Mitt Romney to delay the implementation of the court decision failed to stop the historic moment.

Couples began going to their local city and town clerk's offices and filing for marriage licenses, then going to their local clergy or justice of the peace to be married. Now a year later, more than 4,000 couples have taken the march down the aisle, including more than 50 in the Attleboro area.

Yet, the right granted to them by the court is still being challenged.

Both opponents and proponents of same-sex marriage claim momentum is on their side as state lawmakers enter the new year with a second decision to make on a proposed state constitutional amendment that would bar same-sex marriage, but allow civil unions.

It's an amendment that neither side particularly likes, but one that emerged after several contentious sessions by state legislators that began in February and ended in late March with a close vote to pass the compromise amendment after several other versions were proposed but defeated.

Liberals did not like the compromise because it banned gay marriage. Conservatives were unhappy because it would allow civil unions.

`` Although I didn't like it, I voted for it,'' state Rep. Philip Travis said.

Travis, D-Rehoboth, was a leader of a conservative coalition that wanted the amendment to only ban gay marriage.

`` Many of my friends wanted a pure bill. But you play with the cards you are dealt,'' he said.

The amendment needs a second vote of approval from the Legislature's Constitutional Convention before it can go before voters for endorsement in 2006.

Travis predicted the amendment would pass again, perhaps by a larger margin than before because conservatives have come to realize it is their only hope. There had been speculation that the vote would never come up, but a spokeswoman for state Senate President Robert Travaglini said that is not the case.

Ann Dufresne of his office said no date will be set until after new legislators are sworn in early in January, but Travaglini has indicated he intends to convene the constitutional convention sometime during this legislative session.

Meanwhile, gay and lesbian couples continue to marry, and to hope their status will not be stripped if the amendment were to be approved by voters in 2006.

As these couples celebrated, the reality and the images of same-sex couples taking their vows in Massachusetts sent waves across the country that resulted in the passage of anti-gay marriage initiatives in 11 states during the presidential election. That made `` moral values'' a factor that observers said helped to give President George W. Bush a second term.

Polls continue to show that the majority of Americans oppose same-sex marriage, but are evenly divided over civil unions.

But, as the debate heated up nationally, it had calmed in Massachusetts, where the issue did not seem to be a major one for many voters in November. Massachusetts voters seemed more concerned about the economy and health care.

Even candidates said they heard little talk about gay marriage on the campaign trail.

Yet the issue was being brought up by several conservative Christian and Catholic organizations that launched voter registration and information drives to get voters to base their decisions on how candidates stood on issues such as abortion and gay marriage.

Election results seemed to indicate that the gay marriage issue had little impact, and no legislator who voted against the constitutional amendment lost his or her seat.

Both proponents and opponents wonder how public opinion will play out in Massachusetts if the amendment goes to the voters in another year.

Josh Friedes, spokesman for the Massachusetts Freedom to Marry Coalition, said there has been no public backlash since gay and lesbian couples began getting married in May.

Many people have been attending these weddings, he said, which initially were being done very quickly, but which have since become very traditional.

`` The radical right predicted a parade of horribles, but that did not come true,'' Friedes said.

Now, he said, the question will be, `` why take these rights away from people?''

But Kris Mineau, the president of the Massachusetts Family Institute, which has led the campaign against same-sex marriage, said recently that no matter how many couples marry, moral values don't change.

`` I believe we will get more people to look at the serious consequences of this,'' he said.

GLORIA LaBOUNTY can be reached at 508-236-0333 or at glabounty@thesunchronicle.com.