SSM IN NYACK, NY: From the New York Journal News

Nyack Mayor John Shields jumped into the national same-sex marriage debate yesterday, vowing to help gay and lesbian couples go to court to get marriage licenses and offering to join the fight alongside his partner.

Shields had earlier in the day promised to marry same-sex couples in Nyack as early as today, as New Paltz Mayor Jason West has done.

Shields altered his plans, however, after talking to his attorneys and hearing state Attorney General Eliot Spitzer's opinion against certifying or solemnizing gay and lesbian marriages.

By the time he returned from testifying at a hearing regarding a gay marriage bill, Shields had also learned that Rockland County District Attorney Michael Bongiorno would prosecute him or any local elected officials who married a couple without a valid marriage license.

"We're going to handle them a little differently," Shields said of same-sex marriages late yesterday. "We're going to ask the couples to apply for a valid marriage license, and if that license is denied, we'll challenge that denial in the court system."

Shields said Spitzer's opinion all but asked for a test case. The mayor said he hoped a class-action suit would grow from his and others' efforts to obtain marriage licenses as early as today.

After conferring with Norman Siegel, executive director of the New York affiliate of the American Civil Liberties Union and other lawyers, Shields said he wanted to pursue a pro-active strategy rather than a defensive one.

Shields, who was besieged by national media organizations after his initial promise, said he and partner Bob Streams would consider adding their names to the list of couples applying for licenses in Orangetown.

more
posted by Eve at 8:48 AM VOTE

0 Comments:

Post a Comment

<< Home