A day after homosexual couples started marrying in Portland, Ore., dozens of couples were turned away by clerks in New York City.

Instead of the marriage licenses they sought, they were given a letter explaining that same-sex marriages are currently illegal in the state.

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The state's attorney general, Elliot Spitzer, issued an opinion earlier this week that current state law prohibits same-sex marriages. Spitzer said he doesn't agree with the law, but that it must be respected.

That's part of why the mayor of New Paltz, N.Y., was charged earlier this week with several criminal counts for officiating 25 homosexual weddings. Jason West pleaded not guilty to 19 charges Wednesday.

But in Multnomah County, Oregon -- home of Portland -- more than 400 marriage licenses were issued.

A member of the Christian Coalition in Washington state called it anarchy, and Oregon's governor questioned the legality of the same-sex weddings.

Congressional leaders said Wednesday they will review proposals this month for a constitutional amendment to block the same-sex unions. President George W. Bush has called for an amendment to the Constitution that would make it clear that marriage is only between a man and a woman.

Leaders of black and Hispanic church groups say that amendment is needed to prevent gay marriage from weakening minority families.

The Rev. Richard Richardon of the Black Ministerial Alliance of Greater Boston and the Rev. Daniel de Leon of the Hispanic National Alliance of Evangelical Ministers testified Wednesday at a U.S. Senate subcommittee hearing.

Both rejected charges that opposition to gay marriage is akin to racism.

But Maggie Gallagher of the Institute for Marriage and Public Policy warned that opposition to gay marriage could soon be viewed as bigotry that could cost churches their tax-exempt status.

The Constitution subcommittee's chairman, Texas Sen. John Cornyn, said the Federal Marriage Amendment has broad religious support that crosses racial and party lines.

But Sen. Ted Kennedy said the amendment would violate the religious rights of churches that perform gay weddings.