Second Mayor in N.Y. to Hold Gay Weddings

[kayell]

http://www.insidebaltimore.com/news/national/04-03-03-nymayor-holdsgaywedding.shtml

NEW PALTZ, N.Y. - A second New York mayor said Wednesday he will start marrying gay couples and plans to seek a license himself to marry his same-sex partner. Across the country in Oregon, gay couples lined up for a sudden chance to wed.

snip

Nyack Mayor John Shields will join the New Paltz mayor, Jason West, in issuing the licenses. West vowed to go ahead with up to two dozen same-sex weddings this weekend, despite being charged with 19 criminal counts and possibly facing jail time for marrying gay couples.

Shields told The Associated Press he will start officiating at weddings of same-sex couples as early as this week and planned to join other gay New Yorkers in visiting municipal clerks' offices Friday seeking marriage licenses.

[Beetwasher]

1. Nyack Kicks Ass

It's a very cool place. I grew up pretty close to there and used to go there to party when I was in HS.

Freedom is just breaking out all over!

[brendan120678]

2. They may have some trouble now...

This just came across the wires a few minutes ago...

Gay Marriage Ruled Illegal in New York

By MICHAEL HILL, Associated Press Writer

ALBANY, N.Y. - New York's attorney general joined the rapidly spreading national debate over gay marriage Wednesday, saying current law prohibits same-sex weddings but leaving it to the courts to decide if the law is constitutional.

full article

I'm a little disappointed in Spitzer for doing this, actually. At least he did add that he was in favor of gay marriage in general, as long as it is legalized in NY.

[Atlant]

4. I don't believe an Attorney General's opinion is especially binding.

It all depends on who's willing to litigate it.

Atlant

[Beetwasher]

5. Nothing Wrong W/ What Spitzer Said

why don't you post his quote?

"I personally would like to see the law changed, but must respect the law as it now stands," Eliot Spitzer said in a statement obtained by The Associated Press.

He's also said he believes that gay marriage will be upheld in court challenges and that he will NOT challenge the marriages because he thinks he'd lose the case...

[kayell]

6. Yeah, I just saw that and posted it

:-( This weeks news is definately causing serious mood swings.

At least from what I saw, he doesn't plan on taking any legal action against anyone who ignores that opinion.

[nofurylike]

3. thank you, kayell. thrilling!! n/t

[bushisanidiot]

7. Glory, Glory Hallelujah!!

I love it!! The repukes wanted to make gay marriage one of their campaigning strongholds, but it is back firing on them, BIG TIME!!

[OneBlueSky]

8. gay marriages in Nyack will create an ugly backlash . . .

Nyack is an upscale, fairly liberal enclave in what is, for the most part, a very conservative county . . . Rockland is also a very small county which maintains its identity as a county . . . John Shields is gay, and officiating at gay marriages in Nyack is going to cause the local right-wingers to go ballistic . . . the county's population includes large numbers of Irish Catholics, Hispanic Catholics, and ultra-orthodox Jews, all of whom will undoubtedly have a lot to say about the evils of gay unions . . .

in short, Rockland County ain't New Paltz . . . look for this to break loud and hard in the local paper (The Journal News) and in the NYC media if Nyack becomes New York's second bastion of gay matrimony . . . I've met John Shields, and he's a hell of a nice guy . . . hope he's prepared for the firestorm he's about to unleash . . .