Gay and lesbian activists sat silently with black tape across their mouths Tuesday as the Senate Judiciary Committee put off a vote on a proposed constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriages in South Carolina.

The move to delay the vote for a week came after much heated debate among members over whether the committee should wait any longer.

Gay and lesbian activists had complained that lawmakers were trying to rush the amendment without giving them a fair hearing. About 20 activists sat in on the meeting; fewer than half taped their mouths.

“The purpose was to draw attention to the fact that the gay and lesbian citizens of this state were silenced when the Senate voted to ignore their own procedures and hijack the public hearing process,” said Ed Madden, a USC English professor and board member of the South Carolina Equality Coalition, a statewide gay rights organization.

In a rare procedural move earlier this month, the Senate voted to pull one of several same-sex marriage bills out of a subcommittee before it got a public hearing. That subcommittee will conduct the first of several scheduled public hearings on the bills Thursday.

If the Senate approves the measure, S.C. voters would decide whether to amend the state constitution to define marriage as between a man and a woman. The amendment also would prohibit South Carolina from recognizing same-sex marriages approved in other states. S.C. law already bans gay marriage.

The House already has signed off on the proposed amendment.