KALAMAZOO (NEWSCHANNEL 3) - Dozens gathered on the steps of Kalamazoo's City Hall on Wednesday to protest the city's decision to take away domestic partner health insurance benefits.

The change takes effect July 1st. Four non-unionized city employees will be affected.

The debate over domestic partner benefits stems from the passage of Proposal 2 by Michigan voters in the November 2004 election. Proposal 2 was a state constitutional amendment that banned gay marriage.

Interpreting that consitutional amendment, Michigan Attorney General Mike Cox then ordered public employers to strip health benefits from same-sex partners.

Then in September of 2005, an Ingham County judge ruled that the state's ban on gay marriage did not ban public universities and governments from providing domestic partner benefits.

That ruling was then overturned by the Michigan Court of Appeals in February of this year.

The city of Kalamazoo will be the state's first public employer to take away health insurance benefits to partners of gay workers.