Rochester NY Mulls Issuing Gay Marriage Licenses

[davidinalameda]

http://www.365gay.com/newscon04/01/010504rochesterWed.htm

The city of Rochester, New York, is questioning whether it can legally deny marriage licenses to same-sex couples. At the urging of openly gay city councilman Tim Mains, the city clerk's department has begun a review of both state marriage law and civil rights legislation.

“There’s nothing different about a gay person being married and a straight person being married,” Mains told the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle. “It’s a civil right and civil benefits come from marriage.”

Following November's court ruling in Massachusetts that it was illegal to prevent gay couples from being married, New York Gov. George Pataki said there’s no reason to pass a law sanctioning or banning gay marriages in New York. A number of state lawmakers agreed.

[nadinbrzezinski]

1. GOOD!

[Terwilliger]

2. Woo Hooo!!!

Go Rochester!! (Several of my family were born there)

[Liberal Veteran]

3. We can't allow this! We must protect the sanctity of marriage...

...for people like Britney Spears and Fox reality tv!!!!!!!!!

[David__77]

4. NY is a good prospect for same-sex marriage.

Though it took until very recently even to pass a non-discrimination bill, I think that NY is an excellent prospect. The state GOP is not especially concerned with the issue, and with someone like Bloomberg and to a slightly lesser extent Pataki favoring basic gay equality, the chances are good we could see it happen, especially if state opinion favors it by a plurality, which is quite possible in the coming period.

[alapolitical]

5. Go New York!

May be we can get gay marriage on a county by county basis in this country. Is this legally possible or do the state legislatures have to approve of this?

[Cannikin]

6. They'll blame Britannys behavior on her gay cult following...

Knowing full well she doesnt have one...hehe

[David__77]

7. All states have statewide marriage definitions.

Family law is a state-level issue. However, a county clerk may interprete state statute differently than someone in the next county, which would probably lead to state litigation.

[davidinalameda]

8. a similar thing happened in California

the San Francisco County assessor's office issued an opinion stating that a surviving domestic partner would be treated in the same manner as a surviving spouse in reassement of the couple's property

it was challenged but the State Equalization Board is 3-2 Democratic and they made it state policy