Politics | 05/29/2008 8:39 am

New York Governor: 'I Do' Want Out-of-State Gay Marriages to Be Recognized

By The Staff at wowOwow.com

Hours after Liz Smith pointed out right here on wowOwow that "gays don’t have the same rights as people on death row" (click here to read the entire conversation), comes word that the New York governor is calling on the state to recognize out-of-state same-sex marriages, according to the Associated Press.

Massachusetts is currently the only U.S. state that recognizes same-sex marriages. On June 17, gay couples will be permitted to exchange the legal vows in California. Unless, of course, the state’s Supreme Court decides to change its mind about its decision earlier this month to strike down the same-sex marriage ban. (Read a conversation on California’s step among Lesley Stahl, Liz Smith, Candice Bergen and special guest Kathleen Jamieson by clicking here.)

What do you think about Gov. David Paterson’s move? A sign that times are changing? A good sign? A bad sign?

127 Reader Comments (so far…) Sign In or Register to comment

Josie, if you mean a question to the site, scroll all the way to the bottom, and there is a”contact us” phrase to click on. Give us something stimulating. Peace and grace

By beth willis on 05/29/2008 9:31 pm

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Hello Sweet Beth! I am keeping a list and will send a couple more submissions today.

By Josie Sullivan on 05/30/2008 11:08 am

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Beautiful! Let love prevail without exception and there will always be hope for peace at the end of the rainbow!

By Kate Cassidy on 05/29/2008 12:14 pm

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Ms. Cassidy, That was very pretty!

By Liza D 08 .... beta on 05/29/2008 12:33 pm

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This is great news for everyone. I am straight, married, and a New Yorker, and I am very proud of our wonderful new Governor. Let’s remember what we used to say in the sixties: MAKE LOVE, NOT WAR.

By Kitty Webb on 05/29/2008 2:00 pm

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Kitty: Do it all the time lol

By Frank Peterson on 05/29/2008 2:44 pm

What I find a little sad about this is that it is front page news when a governor decides to comply with the full faith and credit clause of the U.S. Constitution. For centuries, this has meant that a couple married in one state would be considered married in another state, even if that couple could not legally be married in the second state [perhaps by reason of underage, or other local qualifications for marriage]. I know that Congress adopted a law to “interpret” the Constitution to mean that states did not have to recognize other states’ marriages. http://www.cnn.com/US/9609/10/gay.marriage/ But Congress did not amend the Constitution, and most legal experts think that this act is moot due to the full faith and credit clause of the U.S. Constitution.

By Elizabeth Bennett on 05/29/2008 2:08 pm

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Old Negro Spiritual: Freedom isn’t free. Freedom isn’t free. You gotta PAY the price, you gotta sacrifice… For your liberty. David doesn’t need to wait two decades to “find his voice.” He knows where he wants to go and, like Barack, has internalized the CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.

By Renata on 05/29/2008 2:52 pm

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I know that the term “States’ Rights” has taken a beating here at wowowow by some of the liberal participants but here is a powerful example of a couple of States leading the way….eventually for the rest of the Country to follow. California will (once again) accept marriage license applications from gay couples and New York is proposing to honor those marriages as they will the ones in Massachusetts. Baby steps? Yes. But it is a start to equality for the gay community. And, yes, it is also a coup for the States Rights advocates.

By Bonnie Oliver on 05/29/2008 3:24 pm

Even the Bill of Rights had its predecessor in the Virginia Declaration of Rights. It is good to have states acting as incubators of liberty. California also passed more stringent greenhouse gas regulations, but the EPA is trying to wrestle California to the ground on that one. Litigation, naturally, is underway: http://www.sacbee.com/111/story/832783.html

By Elizabeth Bennett on 05/29/2008 4:00 pm

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Bonie- “States’ Rights” has taken a beating here at wowowow by some of the liberal participants but here is a powerful example of a couple of States leading the way” As a liberal, am not sure what this means. You can’t mean you think liberals aren’t for state’s rights? As when our GOP Gov has to sue the Federal Government because Bush has outsourced the EPA to his Fox guarding the Chicken house friends who nix our environmental standards. Also, the Mayor of SF Gavin Newsom got this round of gay marriage rights going again and was assailed by most of the country including the evil Bush Cabal that don’t mind killing a millions innocent Iraqis…but lord forbid gay people should marry. I’m not gay but I do have many gay friends and that is so assinine that they are thwarted in their inherent rights by folks who already have their places reserved in Dante’s 9th ring in Hell. It is criminal that CA has to sue the Fed Government now controlled by oil men so we can have the standards we choose and our GOP Gov approves. In my dreams CA …Northern Ca anyway would decouple from rest of US except MA and NYC…..we are the states that support all the red states who vote in these regressives in.

By Everyone--into the Rose Garden on 05/31/2008 3:26 am

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http://nymag.com/daily/intel/2008/05/david_paterson_sneaks_gay_marr.html Paterson Sneaks Gay Marriage Through the Back Door - NYMag.com

By Renata on 05/29/2008 4:23 pm

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David doesn’t care how it looks either, Lily! Visual aesthetics are irrevelant to him! Ha! Just GETS THE JOB DONE! :-)

By Renata on 05/30/2008 1:00 am

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I meant to say … “they went with that title as the hook?” :O

By Liza D 08 .... beta on 05/29/2008 4:34 pm

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Renata: I can feel the pride in your postings about this remarkable man. He has had an amazing life which enables him to see with his heart as well as his brain. I have so much hope for his tenure as Governor. It’s about time!

By Chef Zee on 05/29/2008 4:58 pm