Last modified: Friday, June 15, 2007 1:00 AM EDT Opinions fly on Web BY TED NESI SUN CHRONICLE STAFF Opinions flew fast and furious on The Sun Chronicle Web site's comments board Thursday after state legislators defeated a proposed constitutional ban on gay marriage. Gay marriage supporters cheered their victory. One simply wrote, "WOOOHOOO!" Another expressed satisfaction that the issue had finally been settled more than three years after gay marriage was first legalized. "It's absurd that the proponents of the ban feel that their rights are being violated because they don't get a chance to vote on it themselves," the anonymous reader wrote. "There is no constitutional guarantee that because a certain number of people sign a petition they have the right to a referendum. "It had to pass two legislative sessions with at least 50 votes and it didn't - end of story." But opponents of gay marriage expressed their displeasure with the Legislature, and hinted at more unorthodox unions. "This is great news," wrote one, "now I can marry my father and collect his state pension when he passes." Some said that despite their personal opposition to gay marriage, they were glad legislators had killed the measure with an up-or-down vote, rather than through procedural tactics. "I am against gay marriage ... but I was even more appalled at the state Legislature's ignoring the constitution of the commonwealth for political expediency," one wrote. "My views lost, but at least the representatives and senators did their (minimally-required) duty." Not everyone agreed. "The Massachusetts Legislature continues its tradition of ignoring the citizens of the commonwealth," another wrote. One reader, Steve, praised The Sun Chronicle for quickly posting local lawmakers' votes online. It is "important to know how people will vote when it comes to civil rights," he wrote. Another pointed out that Wrentham's two Republican state lawmakers - Sen. Scott Brown and Rep. Richard Ross - "cancel each other out. What a bargain for Wrentham." "Most never bought the idea of Ross as anything other than a Democrat to begin with," he added.