BOSTON -- At the Statehouse Thursday, the Judiciary Committee heard hours of testimony on some very controversial topics including whether gay civil marriage should be legalized in the Bay State.

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Amalia Barreda Reports On Hearing

NewsCenter 5's Amalia Barreda reported that the committee heard from religious leaders, family advocates, legal experts, and same-sex couples.

Former state Sen. William Saltonstall, whose father was governor and a U.S. senator, said he testified in support of civil marriage because it protects his lesbian daughter.

"There are situations in which a couple that does not get formal marriage papers get discriminated against. I don't want my daughter discriminated against," said Saltonstall.

Discrimination is the central point that all supporters of civil marriage argue. They say same sex couples and their families are treated unfairly because there is no legal protection for them.

Wilfred Labiosa said he, his partner and his 8-year-old daughter live that discrimination every day.

"Strangers have more rights over my property, over my value, over my child, than any other person that is committed to me, which is my partner," said Labiosa.

Bishop Daniel Reilly of Worcester, Mass., said he spoke on behalf of all the bishops, including the new Archbishop of Boston, when he voiced the Catholic Church's opposition to same sex marriage.

"There are fundamental values that must be preserved or the common good will be harmed," said Reilly.

The Massachusetts Family Institute agrees with Reilly and said homosexuality is dangerous behavior that is harmful to children.

"Twenty-five hundred studies over the past 50 years provide a mountain of proof that children do absolutely the best by any yardstick that you can imagine, when they grow up with their own married mother and father," Massachusetts Family Institute's Evelyn Reilly said.

Meg Soens said it makes her sad to hear arguments like that.

"We're just like other people. We're good too. We're trying to do our best and our families deserve the same protections as our families do," Soens said.

Apart from the civil marriage bill, there is also a civil union bill currently before the Massachusetts Legislature. The civil marriage bill would grant some 1,400 same sex couples benefits that are automatically afforded to heterosexual married couples. The civil union bill grants about 350 same sex couples those rights.