The lawsuit against Governor Paterson's gay marriage stance--that state agencies should recognize out-of-state same-sex marraiges--was thrown out of a state court yesterday. State Court Judge Lucy Billings wrote, "The Governor's directive is an incremental but important step toward equality long denied, even if, according to the New York Court of Appeals, full equality is not constitutionally mandated." The Alliance Defense Fund, a Christian legal group, plans to appeal, which Billings predicted weeks ago. more ›

When Governor David Paterson ordered that state agencies should recognize out-of-state same-sex marriages, the battle lines were drawn. The Alliance Defense Fund, a Christian legal group, filed a lawsuit yesterday, with plaintiffs including state Assembly minority leader James Tedisco, Assemblymen Daniel Burling and Brian Kolb and state Sens. Martin Golden and Serphin Maltese, claiming that Paterson "sidestepped the democratic process." However, Judge Lucy Billings implied that she would side with Paterson, saying, "The petitioners, I'm sure, are headed to a higher court." more ›