Some good news today from Lamda Legal
Feb. 4th, 2005 10:46 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
capnzebbieThis was in my Lambda Legal email newsletter today:
Today we won a historic victory in our New York marriage case! A New York State court has ruled that same-sex couples have a right to marry.
In her ruling, State Supreme Court Justice Doris Ling-Cohan said that the New York State Constitution guarantees basic freedoms to lesbian and gay people. The ruling goes on to say that same-sex couples must have the right to marry and that the couples represented by Lambda Legal must be given marriage licenses. The ruling is stayed for a month in case the city chooses to appeal it in court.
In the words of Justice Ling-Cohan: "Similar to opposite-sex couples, same-sex couples are entitled to the same fundamental right to follow their hearts and publicly commit to a lifetime partnership with the person of their choosing. The recognition that this fundamental right applies equally to same-sex couples cannot legitimately be said to harm anyone."
While today's ruling is a huge step forward for Lambda Legal's relationship-recognition work, there is no time to rest on our laurels. Our marriage cases in New Jersey, Washington (with the Northwest Women's Law Center) and California (with NCLR and the ACLU) are all moving ahead vigorously. At the same time we're challenging antigay amendments in Georgia and Nebraska and defending domestic partner benefits in California and New Orleans.
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About Lambda Legal
Lambda Legal is the oldest and largest legal organization in the nation dedicated to the full recognition of the civil rights of lesbians, gay men, bisexuals, transgender people and those with HIV.
To learn more about our work, visit our website www.lambdalegal.org.
It's nice to have some good about this issue for a change.
Today we won a historic victory in our New York marriage case! A New York State court has ruled that same-sex couples have a right to marry.
In her ruling, State Supreme Court Justice Doris Ling-Cohan said that the New York State Constitution guarantees basic freedoms to lesbian and gay people. The ruling goes on to say that same-sex couples must have the right to marry and that the couples represented by Lambda Legal must be given marriage licenses. The ruling is stayed for a month in case the city chooses to appeal it in court.
In the words of Justice Ling-Cohan: "Similar to opposite-sex couples, same-sex couples are entitled to the same fundamental right to follow their hearts and publicly commit to a lifetime partnership with the person of their choosing. The recognition that this fundamental right applies equally to same-sex couples cannot legitimately be said to harm anyone."
While today's ruling is a huge step forward for Lambda Legal's relationship-recognition work, there is no time to rest on our laurels. Our marriage cases in New Jersey, Washington (with the Northwest Women's Law Center) and California (with NCLR and the ACLU) are all moving ahead vigorously. At the same time we're challenging antigay amendments in Georgia and Nebraska and defending domestic partner benefits in California and New Orleans.
------
About Lambda Legal
Lambda Legal is the oldest and largest legal organization in the nation dedicated to the full recognition of the civil rights of lesbians, gay men, bisexuals, transgender people and those with HIV.
To learn more about our work, visit our website www.lambdalegal.org.
It's nice to have some good about this issue for a change.
