OK, kiddo! Here are all the fantastically amazing posts tagged with New York
United States Inches Toward Real Freedom
Well, I’m back from my vacation abroad, so let’s start up again with some short, but welcome news! New York officially started issuing same-sex marriage licenses yesterday, just days after President Barack Obama certified the end of the military’s silly “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy that banned openly gay citizens from serving in the country.
Hundreds of New Yorkers lined up patiently to get their marriage certificates on Sunday, many of whom had waited for decades. The first couple to get their certificate was Phyllis Siegel, 77, and Connie Kopelov, 85, who have spent the last 23 years of their life together. The total number of marriage licenses issued the first day totaled 659, a new record for the state. A great day for the institution of marriage!
The official repeal of the ban on openly gay people in the army will happen on September 20th.
Congratulations to everyone who helped fight for both of these important steps in getting full equality. Keep it up, and soon everyone in the States will get the freedom they were promised!
- Hundreds of New York gay couples exchange vows [CBC News]
- Obama officially ends ban on gays in military [CBC News]
And Now, A Warning From Canada
So, I hear that New York State has finally legalized same-sex marriage. That’s fantastic news!
Throughout the debate, however, many people were wondering aloud about the consequences—both direct and indirect—that should be expected. Some of the predictions are downright dire.
I think I can chime in here. The first legal same-sex marriages in Canada happened in 2003, eight years ago—and it’s been nearly six years since Canada legalized same-sex marriage nationwide via parliamentary vote. In that sense, looking at Canada is a little bit like looking into the future. I think, therefore, that I should warn all you New Yorkers about the consequences that same-sex marriage will bring.
For easy reference and discussion, I’ve compiled each consequence into an exhaustive, numbered list. New York will experience each of these consequences, and I encourage other states to think long and hard about each of the items on this list before deciding to go down the path of same-sex marriage as well.
So, without further ado, if you’re ready, I present the complete of consequences of legal same-sex marriage:
- Same-sex couples can marry.
There you go. Now no one can say that they haven’t been informed.
Congratulations, again, to all my friends in New York. Keep fighting, and all the other states will follow!
LifeSite Hearts Scare Quotes: Part 2
A New York judge has ruled that the surviving partner of a same-sex couple married in Canada is entitled to the deceased’s estate—as stipulated in his will—without having to involve next of kin in the probate proceedings. It’s a barely interesting legal case for very many, terrifically boring reasons, but it does establish some precendent in how all the “death do us part” matters are handled when it comes to foreign same-sex marriages.
Say, let’s see how those nutty scribes at LifeSite are reporting this!
Despite the fact that same-sex “marriage” is illegal in New York, a New York Judge has ruled that a man will receive the estate of his deceased male partner, whom he had “wed” in Canada eight months earlier. [...] The decision is the latest in a series of decision [sic] in New York which have set legal precedent in the state in favor of same-sex “marriage.”
We’ll ignore, for a moment, that same-sex marrages are not actually illegal in New York when performed out-of-state, and focus on the much more interesting issue here: Scare quotes!
Yes, in their usual LifeSite style, every occurance of the words “marriage,” “married,” “wed,” and “spouse” in the article are encased by a pair of delightfully sneering quotations. Why, even the word “divorce” gets a nice pair of quotes when it refers to same-sex partners. In fact, of the exactly nine sentences, there are 13 pairs of quotation marks—none of which are used for proper attributions. Oh, how the contempt does drip forth! I can almost visualize the author’s face, locked in a disapproving rictus, the Shift key permanently held for maximum quotage.
Almost makes you wonder exactly what their beef is regarding state probate notification procedures with respect to estate transfer between same-sex spouses…
Probably the same-sex part.
Parenthetically, while LifeSite correctly points out that the couple was married in Canada eight months ago, they somehow neglect to mention that the couple had been in a committed relationship for nearly 25 years prior and the surviving siblings had no objections to the will.
- NY Judge Grants Estate to Surviving Partner of Same-Sex “Marriage” Effected in Canada [LifeSite]
- N.Y. Judge Finds Man Entitled to Inherit Same-Sex Partner’s Estate [National Law Journal]
- NY judge: Same-sex spouse gets husband’s estate [Associated Press]
U.S. Challenges Canadian Same-Sex Marriages
Monroe County in New York State is appealing last month’s court ruling that declared Canadian same-sex marriages must be recognized in the state.
Maggie Brooks, a Republican official, called the five-judge, unanimous court ruling a “misinterpretation of the law,” adding “we’re letting people in Ontario, Canada define marriage for people who live in New York State.”
Patricia Martinez and her wife, Lisa Golden, brought the original case to court after Partricia’s employer refused to extend spousal health benefits to Lisa. While they aren’t surprised that the Republicans are trying to take such basic legal equalities away, they say they’ll always have each other:
We still view our marriage as legitimate. No court decision will devalue or negate what our marriage means to us.
Good on you! I wish them the best of luck.
- Canadian same-sex marriage faces U.S. challenge [Times Colonist]
NY Appeals Court Upholds Canadian Marriages
After a three year battle, an appeals court in New York has ruled that Canadian same-sex marriages are valid in the state and must be respected by company spousal health plans.
The ruling means that Patricia Martinez—a supervisor at Monroe Community College in Rochester—may now extend spousal benefits to her wife, Lisa Ann Golden, just like any heterosexual employee. Patricia sued the college for these benefits in 2005, but a lower court sided with the college, arguing that the couple’s Canadian same-sex marriage was not a real marriage.
After the appeals ruling, several hundred thousand traditional families throughout the state spontaneously detonated.
- N.Y. court ruling validates Canadian gay marriage [Montréal Gazette]
- Gay marrieds win N.Y. victory [Peterborough Examiner]
New York Recognizes Canadian Gay Marriages
Start spreadin’ the newwws…
The state of New York has become the first in the U.S. to recognize Canadian same-sex marriages. This is exciting news for all those New Yorkers who wished they could tie the ol’ metaphorical knot of some sort, but had an aversion to moving out of the country (or to Massachusetts—for what I’d imagine are pronunciation reasons).
Now a temporary hop up north will make the whole thing official. Terrific!
My advice to New Yorkers thinking of getting some exciting Canadian paperwork: Start working on your guest list! Not only is our wedding season short, but certain special interest groups (Cough. Canadian Family Action Coalition. Cough.) are already pushing to ban foreigners from marrying here. Though I’m sure their reasons are completely unrelated. I mean, they’re lobbyists! They wouldn’t do anything mean spirited.
- N.Y. judge recognizes gay marriages [Montréal Gazette]
