measure

米大統領選に合わせて行われた同性婚の是非を問う住民投票の後、メーンとメリーランドの２州で同性婚が認められましたが、うちメーン州で初の婚姻届けが受理されました。
measureは「手段、処置、方法」などの意味で広く知られていますが、「法案、法令、条令」の意味があることも押さえておきたいですね。今回は住民投票の結果を受けて法案化された条令のものでの初のケースとなります。（UG）

Gay couple ties knot in Maine for first time

(CNN) -- A chorus of whoops and cheers greeted Steven Bridges and Michael Snell as they exited City Hall in Portland, Maine, early Saturday as the first same-sex couple to wed under a new law.

Supporters of the law allowing same-sex marriage -- passed by a referendum in November -- jumped up and down, flashed their cameras and sang the Beatles' "All You Need Is Love."

"It's very surreal still," Snell said.

The couple did not know they would be the first to take advantage of the new law.

"We finally feel equal, and happy to live in Maine," Bridges said.

Same-sex marriage rights have been denied in many states in the past, but last month, voters in Maine, Washington and Maryland decided to change that.

The Maine measure states that men and women, "relating to the marital relationship or familial relationships must be construed to be gender-neutral for all purposes."

The measure also mentions the right of clergy to refuse to wed gay and lesbian couples if it goes against their religious convictions.

http://edition.cnn.com/2012/12/29/us/maine-same-sex-marriage/index.html?hpt=hp_t3