Christian Group Challenges NY Governor Paterson on Gay Marriage

Posted on August 8, 2008
Filed Under Gay News Blog

A fundie group is posing a legal challenge to New York Governor David Paterson’s directive to state agencies to recognize same-sex marriages performed outside of the state:

“The Alliance Defense Fund is suing Mr. Paterson, citing an online dictionary’s definition of the word “marriage,” and claiming that legal recognition of such marriages ‘will undermine the democratic process and force taxpayer dollars to fund benefits for same-sex couples.’ Other plaintiffs in the suit include the state Assembly’s minority leader, James Tedisco, as well assemblymen Daniel Burling and Brian Kolb and senators Martin Golden and Serphin Maltese. ‘This isn’t about morals or ethics, it’s about a legal standard in New York,’ a lawyer for the Alliance Defense Fund, Brian Raum, said.”

State lawyers today defended Paterson: “They asked a Bronx judge Thursday to dismiss a Christian legal group’s argument that the governor is overstepping his authority. The case comes as thousands of gay New York couples are expected to take advantage of a new Massachusetts law letting them wed there.”

Said Lambda Legal’s litigator Susan Sommer: “This case is really just the Alliance Defense Fund piling on one more nuisance case, when the issue’s already been effectively passed over.”