New Jersey is now the third state to reject same-sex marriage in the last three months.

On Thursday, state senators voted down a bill to legalize it. The bill needed 21 votes to pass, but only 14 senators approved the measure. Gay rights advocates vowed to fight back in court.

In December, New York state senators voted against same-sex marriage. And in November, Maine voters overturned a new gay marriage law in their state.

Five states -- Connecticut, Iowa, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Vermont -- now recognize same-sex marriage.

Meanwhile, a federal trial on California's gay marriage ban is scheduled to begin Monday. That trial will be recorded and posted on YouTube.