| Same
Sex Marriage and Civil Rights In
The Hudson Valley
All citizens deserve equal treatment New York Journal News
Letter to the Editor
(Original publication: January 3, 2006)
As an estate planning
attorney working with people from all walks of life, I see on an almost
daily basis the inequality
that same-sex and unmarried partners face in our "free and just" society.
The unfortunate same-sex benefits debate in New Rochelle
is but another example of the fundamental economic unfairness our lesbian
and gay citizens
face in merely wanting to live their lives and in exercising
their right to equal treatment under the law. It is time to stop the "Torquemada" approach
to our neighbors and friends. There are much more pressing issues to
consider such as biological
and nuclear terrorism which, if one of them comes to your home
town, will render the same-sex rights debate academic.
Ted Frerking, Ossining
 News
Articles
 June
1,
2006 - NY Times
ALBANY, May 31 — As
the issue of gay marriage finally reached New York State's
highest court on Wednesday, the six judges who heard
the passionate arguments
from both sides put forth a fundamental question: Has marriage
been defined by history, culture and tradition since
the dawn of Western
civilization, or is it an evolving social institution that
should change with the times? [read
more]- May
18, 2006 - NY Journal News
I would like to invite everyone to the wedding of my
son to his fiancé,
another wonderful young man. It will be a traditional Jewish ceremony: They
will be surrounded by family and friends as they stand together
under the marriage
canopy, recite ancient texts and publicly commit their love and commitment
to each other. We will kiss and hug, eat and drink, and dance the
night away celebrating
their new life ahead as a family. [read
more]
- April
11, 2006 - Danbury News Times
"There are
so many little details in one's life that are affected
by the terminology of civil union versus marriage,''
Howell said. "As
a gay person in a relationship, my responsibility is
to have all the appropriate
forms all the time. If we cross state lines, I have no rights.''
[read more]
- April
4,
2006 - Christian Science Monitor
BOSTON - In ruling
that same-sex couples from states that do not allow gay
marriage cannot marry in Massachusetts, the state's highest
court dramatically narrowed
the current battleground in the gay-marriage debate to
a handful of states. [read
more]
- March
27, 2006 - NY Journal News
Gay couples who
lost their fight to marry in Rockland 18 months ago
will appeal the ruling today in state Supreme Court. The
couples, who became known as "The Nyack 10," include
Nyack Mayor John Shields and his partner. Shields said he
was not optimistic about the outcome, but would still
go to the Second Appellate Division in Brooklyn today
to pursue the case. [read
more]
- March
6, 2006 - New York Times
In a closed-door
meeting this week in an undisclosed site near Baltimore,
a committee of Jewish legal experts who set policy for
Conservative Judaism will
consider whether to lift their movement's ban on gay rabbis
and same-sex unions. [read
more]
- March
3, 2006 - Gay.com wire
London, UK - A
battleship in the Royal Navy will host its first gay
wedding later this week as a senior Navy officer is taking advantage
of the United
Kingdom’s recent legalization of civil unions by tying the
knot with his longtime boyfriend. [read
more]
- March
3, 2006 - NY Times
SANTA ROSA, Calif. (AP) -- A veteran Presbyterian minister told a church judicial
panel that she knew the faith's position on gay marriage, yet felt called by
God and her conscience to call the unions between two lesbian couples marriage
anyway. [read more]
 January
31, 2006 - NY Times
UNITED NATIONS, Jan. 26 — Human rights organizations and the co-chairman
of the Congressional Human Rights Caucus protested on Thursday a decision by
the Bush administration to back a measure introduced by Iran denying two gay
rights groups a voice at the United Nations. [read
more]- January
5, 2006 -
Rutland (VT) Herald
So perhaps the
time has come to admit what civil union opponents have
said all along. You may recall how some lawmakers who
voted against the civil union
law in 2000 had rubber ducks on their desks. Their message:
If it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, then
it's a duck. Calling legalized
gay relationships "civil unions" doesn't disguise what
they really are: marriages. [read
more]
- December
27, 2005 - New York Journal News
The
benefits these four people are trying to rescind are
already in place, already have employees requesting
them, and are protecting the families of all New Rochelle
employees, not only those that have the legal right
to marry. [read
more]
 The
Complete News Archives is Here
Other Links:
Sometimes
you've got to take action and this is one of those times.
Mayor Jason West of New Paltz has been marrying same-sex couples
since President George Bush declared his support for a Constitutional
Amendment banning them. When I wrote about
this issue on February 19th, I never expected
such a response!
On March 2nd, 2004, Ulster County D.A. Donald Williams filed
criminal charges against the Mayor for "solemnizing a marriage
without a license" and it is imperative that we publicly
support the Mayor regardless of the legal outcome.
Below
are the email addresses for some local newspapers. If there
are any missing please email
them to me for addition here. You'll also find a sample
letter in support of the Mayor and articles
about the issue.
On
March 3rd the Poughkeepsie Journal ran an editorial that
reads in part:
"We
believe there is no sound legal reason for the government
to prohibit gay couples from having the same rights and liberties
as straight couples.
They
must be given equal protection under the law. Allowing them
to marry should be part of that protection."
And
the NY Journal News wrote on March 4th:
"New
York's Legislature, urged on by the governor, should take
a stand on the side of fairness and equality. The lawmakers
should assuage any doubts that New York champions liberty
over bigotry by voting to remove any statutory bars to gay
marriage in New York."
Less
than two hours from New York City, New Paltz -- the village,
town and state university -- attracts wide diversity in social
makeup, sexual orientation and ethnic heritage. On the fringe
where New York state's rural divide meets a Manhattan-infused,
metropolitan and suburban sprawl, New Paltz maintains a frontier
spirit that over centuries has not lost its edge. [read
more]
|
Congresswoman
Sue Kelly supports the proposed Consitutional Amendment
to ban Gay Marriages.
Contact
Mrs. Kelly:
21 Old Main Street
Room 107
Fishkill, NY 12524
Phone: (845) 897-5200
Fax: (845) 897-5800
Judge
Reichkler's Decision:
I
find that “tradition” is not a legitimate
state interest, and that prohibiting same-sex couples
from marrying
is not
rationally related to furthering the state’s legitimate
interest in providing a favorable environment for procreation
and child-rearing. Accordingly, the criminal charges
against the defendants must be dismissed. Discussion
follows. [read more]
NYS
Attorney General Eliot Spitzer's March 5th, 2004 opinion:
Mayor West
believes strongly in this issue, and is committed to continuing
his support for same sex marriages. At the same time, Mayor
West understands his duties as a public official, and that those
who are elected to office have a responsibility to demonstrate,
through words and actions, a commitment to upholding the law.
[read
more]
Important
Links
New Paltz Mayor
Jason West
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