USLegal Reporter » same-sex marriage

New York Senate Says No to Same-Sex Marriage

Dana Altman — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 16:15:45 +0000

In a 38-24 vote, the New York Senate rejected a bill to legalize same-sex marriage. The bill was introduced by Governor David Paterson last April and passed the General Assembly by a vote of 89-52. If the bill had passed, it would have made New York the sixth state to recognize same-sex marriage. Same-sex marriage is legal in Connecticut, Iowa, Massachusetts and Vermont. A New Hampshire law takes effect Jan. 1.

New York also doesn’t recognize civil unions, but has several laws, executive orders, and court decisions that allow gay couples the same rights benefiting married couples. New York is one of the few states that recognizes same-sex marriages performed in other jurisdictions.

Sources: http://jurist.law.pitt.edu/paperchase/2009/12/new-york-senate-rejects-same-sex.php

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/12/03/AR2009120300307.html

Vermont Legalizes Same-Sex Marriage

Della Sellers — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 15:49:27 +0000

The Legislature in the state of Vermont voted today to override the veto the state governor issued yesterday of a bill allowing same-sex couples to marry. Vermont joins Massachusetts, Connecticut and Iowa in allowing same-sex marriage, but is the first state to legalize it through legislation.

The Senate voted 23-5 and the House 100-49, which met the required two-thirds of each chamber to override a veto.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/gay_marriage_vermont

Same-Sex Marriage Now Legal in Iowa

Della Sellers — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 13:54:23 +0000

Iowa joined Massachusetts and Connecticut in legalizing same-sex marriage on Friday when the Iowa Supreme Court held that a state ban on marriage of same-sex couples is unconstitutional. The court’s decision upheld a previous district court ruling that a state law that defined marriage as a union between a man and a woman violated the equal protection rights of gay and lesbians. The lower court ruling followed a lawsuit filed by Lambda Legal, representing same sex-couples who were unable to obtain marriage licenses. Although the county attorney’s office claimed that the previous ruling violated the separation of powers and the issue should go to the legislature, it will not seek reconsideration or rehearing of the case. Opponents are left to lobby for a vote on a constitutional amendment.

Same-sex couples in Iowa may obtain marriage licenses beginning on April 24 after the ruling is final.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090403/ap_on_re_us/iowa_gay_marriage

Connecticut High Court Legalizes Same-Sex Marriages

carrie — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 21:22:50 +0000

The Connecticut Supreme Court today ruled that same-sex couples have the contitutional right to marry. The Court said that civil unions were not enough under equal protection laws.

Writing for the majority, Justice Richard N. Palmer said that “segregation of heterosexual and homosexual couples into separate institutions constitutes a cognizable harm, in light of the history of pernicious discrimination faced by gay men and lesbians, and because the institution of marriage carries with it a status and significance that the newly created classification of civil unions does not embody.

The decision was 4-3. Connecticut now becomes the 3rd state in the nation to legalize same sex marriage.

Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/11/nyregion/11marriage.html?bl&ex=1223784000&en=fd4a1a97b25b8c75&ei=5087%0A

Same-Sex Marriages in California Reach 11,000

Dana Altman — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 16:42:54 +0000

After legalizing same-sex marriages, California has registered 11,000 such marriages in the first three months of legalization, surpassing the number of such marriages in the four years after they were legalized in Massachusetts. California and Massachusetts are the only two states in the country where same-sex marriages are legal. UCLA’s Williams Institute conducted a study which estimated that 11,000 same-sex couples were married in California from June 17, when the California Supreme Court began allowing the weddings, to Sept. 17. Gary Gates, a demographer at the Williams Institute, claims that the number of same-sex marriages represents only about 10% of the same-sex couples in California.

Next month Californians will vote on Proposition 8, which would amend the state’s constitution to define marriage as between only a man and a woman. Meanwhile, the California Department of Public Health is once again changing the state’s marriage license form. After same-sex marriages were legalized, the language on the form replaced the words “bride” and “groom” with the terms “Party A” and “Party B”. Due to objections, the form is being changed to allow the option of identifying as bride and groom, as well as groom and groom, bride and bride, or leaving the space blank.

Source:http://www6.lexisnexis.com/publisher/EndUser?Action=UserDisplayFullDocument&orgId=607&docId=l:l:864238844&topicId=12722&source=undefined&start=14&topics=single