EDMONTON — Alberta has virtually no legal options to oppose same-sex marriage, Premier Ralph Klein said Monday.

After reviewing with provincial Justice Minister Ron Stevens the Supreme Court ruling on redefining marriage, Klein said the province has no chance to block a federal same-sex marriage law. "There are some things that we might try but he (Stevens) anticipates that we would fail," Klein said.

"Invoking the notwithstanding clause, amending our own Marriage Act, all of those things he (Stevens) feels will be challengeable and we would lose in court."

Just last year, Klein spoke of "drawing a line in the sand" over same-sex marriage.

Now he is now encouraging people to write letters of protest to Prime Minister Paul Martin and members of Parliament.

"We will be writing to all Liberal and Conservative members. I'll be writing to the Prime Minister," he said.

Klein also shared his own personal views on the divisive issue.

"I have friends who are gays and friends who are lesbians, and they are wonderful people," he said.

"But I am a politician as well, and my personal feeling is that I support the traditional concept of marriage."

Staunch opponents of same-sex marriage in the Alberta Tory caucus also appear to have accepted that the province is fighting a losing battle.

Barry McFarland, a Conservative backbencher from the riding of Little Bow in southern Alberta, said his constituents are angry and frustrated.

"People are telling me I better not be supporting any of this gay marriage garbage. That is their words," said McFarland, who plans to take part in a Tory caucus meeting Wednesday to discuss how the province should respond to the ruling.

McFarland said Alberta should continue to say no to same-sex marriage.

But he also acknowledged such a position is probably futile.

"I guess we can continue to say no, if that is what it takes, but I don't know how successful saying no is going to be."

Denis Ducharme, a Tory backbencher from Bonnyville in northeast Alberta, said he is also getting an earful.

"We are receiving phone calls and e-mails from constituents sharing their disgust with the decision," Ducharme said.

Ducharme compared the federal government's plan to redefine marriage to Alberta's lost battle against the federal gun registry.

The province fought the legislation every step of the way but ultimately lost in the Supreme Court.

How Alberta handles the same-sex marriage issue will be the first big challenge Klein has faced since the Nov. 22 provincial election.

While the Tories won another big majority, the party lost seats to the Liberals and New Democrats in Edmonton and Calgary.

It also lost a sizable chunk of the popular vote in rural areas to the more right-wing Alberta Alliance.

Conservative Tories will be watching closely how Klein manages same-sex marriage, said Trevor Harrison, a professor of political sociology at the University of Lethbridge.

Klein's talk of encouraging opponents of same-sex marriage to write Ottawa is not going to satisfy social conservatives, he said.

"It seems like a fairly weak kind of sop to these people," Harrison said.

"It adds to a general perception. There was grumbling going into the election that on a series of issues Ralph Klein and the government have talked tough on the Canadian Wheat Board, the gun registry and health care. When push comes to shove they don't seem to really come through."

Klein's initial reaction last week to the Supreme Court ruling was to call for a national referendum on any federal legislation.

The premier seemed to back away from that Sunday after federal political leaders, including the prime minister, said they were cool to the idea.

Same-sex couples may now legally marry in British Columbia, Ontario, Quebec, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Nova Scotia and Yukon.

If the federal law passes, it would extend the same right to other jurisdictions.