By edict of Governor Peterson state agencies will have to recognize gay marriages from other states.
From the BBC:
State Governor David Paterson has given state agencies until 30 June to change rules to recognize gay marriages.
The news came hours after California said it would start issuing marriage licenses to gay couples from 17 June.
The move does not legalize same-sex marriage in New York, but it means many bureaucratic restrictions experienced by gay couples will be lifted.
These include issues concerning family health care plans, property inheritance, tax breaks and adoption rights.
I'm not a proponent of gay marriage per se. However I am a firm believer that the less government meddles in the relationships of two consenting human adults the better. Marriage was primarily a religious matter until fairly recently and in my opinion it should have stayed that way. So on that note I say...
Nice first step New York.
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