Opponents of gay marriage are celebrating another decisive vote in the New York Senate, where a proposal to legalize same-sex marriage was defeated 38 to 24 on late Wednesday.

The wide margin was unexpected in the New England state, the other chamber, the New York State Assembly has approved the legislation before, and Governor David A. Paterson had promised to sign it into law.

The vote prompted pronouncements that the momentum for gay marriage had been not only halted, but also effectively reversed. Same-sex marriage is legal in Iowa, Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut and, most recently, New Hampshire, where it goes into effect on January 01, 2010.

“I think you put it all together and it most likely spells the end of the idea that you can pass gay marriage democratically anywhere else in the United States,” said Maggie Gallagher, president of the National Organization for Marriage, which spearheaded opposition in Albany. “I think the gay marriage lobby will have to go back to a court-based approach.

“We did believe they were short at least five votes, but we did not expect to win by 14 votes.”

Opponents said New York lawmakers heeded the outcome of a Nov. 3 ballot measure in Maine, where voters repealed a gay marriage law before it went into effect.

“We had long called for a public debate on this matter so we could determine who was truly on our side,” said the Empire State Pride Agenda in a statement. “If you cannot support us, we will find candidates for public office who do.”

The National Organization for Marriage, which is based in New Jersey but has offices in Virginia, was even more explicit, warning ahead of the vote that it would raise $500,000 to defeat any Republican senator who broke ranks on the issue. The heading on the group’s news release read: “Vote for Gay Marriage and We Will Fund a Primary Challenge.”

“Today equality was denied to New York State families. The State Senate voted against equal civil marriage and turned its back on civil rights,” stated Marriage Equality New York (MENY) Executive Director Ron Zacchi. “This day will go down in history as the day the New York State Senators decided to be on the wrong side of history by denying an entire community the ability to protect its families!”

The National Organization for Marriage added, “This helps us in New Hampshire where a coalition that includes Catholic bishops will attempt to reverse the same-sex marriage law as that state’s legislative election season opens. We might even make it in Vermont.”

The National Organization for Marriage has also promised to fight any gay marriage measure in the District of Columbia.

Marriage Equality New York has scheduled a protest rally at Union Square on December 03, 2009.