Established in 1995 to gain city-wide support for a domestic partnership ordinance, the Northampton Domestic Partnership Coalition's campaign included fundraising and neighborhood canvassing. Their early efforts succeeded, and in May 1995, the Northampton City Council passed an ordinance recognizing domestic partnerships in the city. The measure allowed people of either gender to register as a couple and entitled them to visitation and child care rights in schools, jails, and health care facilities.

Soon after the ordinance was passed, however, a group of residents opposed to the measure -- later organized as Northampton for Traditional Values -- launched a petition drive to overturn the ordinance and place a referendum before the voters during the November election. Although they succeeded in getting on the ballot, the initiative failed, losing by fewer than a hundred votes.