Gay marriage opponents sue to overturn N.Y. law

Clyde Phillips-Frey, left hand, and Nathan Phillips-Frey, right hand, pose for photos for a photographer after being married in a group same-sex marriage in Niagara Falls, N.Y., Monday, July 25, 2011. / AP Photo/David Duprey

GENESEO, N.Y. - Opponents to New York's gay marriage law filed the first lawsuit challenging the measure, an anticipated salvo that came one day after weddings were celebrated around the state.

A representative of New Yorkers for Constitutional Freedoms and a rabbi said in a lawsuit filed Monday in state court that New York's Senate violated its own procedures and the state's open meetings law when it approved the bill on June 24.

The lawsuit claims that the Senate prevented lawmakers who opposed the bill from speaking and that the Senate didn't follow procedures that require a bill to go through appropriate committees before a full Senate vote.

Opponents of the gay marriage law had promised lawsuits.

"We should have an open and deliberative process," the Rev. Jason McGuire, executive director of New Yorkers for Constitutional Freedoms, told The Associated Press. "If truly the legislation can stand on its own merits then it should be able to withstand being deliberated publicly."

29 Photos

First gay wedding day in N.Y.

Spokesmen for Senate Republicans and the state's attorney general declined to comment.

Hundreds of gay couples got married starting just past midnight Sunday as New York became the sixth and largest state to legalize same-sex weddings. Ceremonies were held around the state, mostly in New York City where the day's celebration was tempered by a protest in which thousands of opponents marched to the United Nations.

On Monday, a mass wedding in Niagara Falls saw 46 same-sex couples exchange vows.

The bill was adopted the night of June 24, the last day of the legislative session after days of closed-door negotiations involving Gov. Andrew Cuomo and key lawmakers. The lawsuit claims that Cuomo improperly waived the three-day waiting period between a bill's introduction and a vote. Such waivers are common in Albany for negotiated bills.

The debate on the night of the vote on June 24 was severely restricted in a manner unprecedented in recent years.

The Senate's Republican majority allowed unlimited time for supporters of the bill to speak, including Democratic Sen. Thomas Duane who sponsored it and Republican Sen. Stephen Saland who provided the pivotal vote. But Lieutenant Gov. Robert Duffy, presiding of the Senate, repeatedly cut off Democratic Sen. Ruben Diaz Sr., a minister who led the opposition to the bill. Diaz sought to persuade his colleagues to vote "no."

The lawsuit also claims that promises of campaign contributions were made to Republican senators who voted for the bill.

Financial filings with the state Board of Elections July 15 showed Cuomo and the four Republican senators who voted for gay marriage received large campaign donations from groups and individuals who pushed for the legalization of gay marriage.

[GLBTOFHUNTERDONCOUNTYOFNJ]

GLBTOFHUNTERDONCOUNTYOFNJ.COM
Also check other are link page I also add some of the link here too.
Open to Gay,Lesbian,Bisexual,Teens,Adults,their friends parents,family members. Are you gay or a lesbian & need somebody to talk please come to the meetings? We all welcome Parents, Families & Friends of Lesbians & Gays.There is no membership fee to come to meetings. We have movie night at the Library.
for next social/meeting see web site.
First Meeting is Aug 25,2011 (Thur)
7PM to 9PM
Social / Support Group
NORTH COUNTY BRANCH OF THE
HUNTERDON COUNTY LIBRARY
65 Halsted Street, Clinton, NJ 08809

Jesus said some are born gay.
Here Jesus refers to "eunuchs who have been so from birth." This terminology ("born eunuchs") was used in the ancient world to refer to homosexual men. Jesus indicates that being a "born eunuch" is a gift from God.

http://www.wouldjesusdiscriminate.org/biblical_evidence/born_gay.html

http://www.wouldjesusdiscriminate.org
http://www.wouldjesusdiscriminate.com

These stories are all real examples of gay couples, their lives and some of the issues they face.
We hope this helps you understand what our community faces.
If you have your own story, please submit it for others to see
http://www.marriagefairness.org/gay_marriage_stories/story_list.php

You may have some questions about what it means to be "gay and saved" or even what it is all about. In this section, I will try and answer many of the questions you may have as best I can based on my own experiences and more importantly what the Bible teaches about what it will take to be successfully "gay and saved."
http://www.gayandsaved.com/questions.htm#gaymarriage

http://www.gayandsaved.com
http://www.savedandgay.com

Prayers For Bobby
NOMINATED FOR TWO 2009 PRIMETIME EMMY AWARDS (Outstanding made for Television Movie; Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie - Sigourney Weaver), as well as the 2010 GOLDEN GLOBE AWARD (Best Performance by an Actress in a Mini-Series or a Motion Picture Made for Television - Sigourney Weaver) and the 2010 SCREEN ACTORS GUILD AWARD (Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries - Sigourney Weaver), Prayers for Bobby is the amazing true story of a mother torn between her loyalties, challenged by her faith, and moved by a tragedy that would change her life, and the lives of others, forever.
http://prayersforbobby.com/

http://www.glbtofhunterdoncountyofnj.com

[kansas1946]

by rafterman1 July 25, 2011 2:39 PM EDT
Well, we all know that certain people are against government intrusion into people's lives - unless of course it concerns one of their political agenda items. Then its intrude-away.
****************************

Amen. Well said. The right-wingers are the biggest hypocrites that ever walked the earth. They are pitiful.

[DenverBroncofan]

Still no tax benefits

[tsprague52]

There will be. Equal treatment under the law says that discriminating about groups that you don't like is unconstitutional. It doesn't matter how much the group is disliked, or why. Unless it can be proven that the group is someway actively harmful to people or society. That hasn't been proven at all. If fact, in the Prop 8 trial the Judge asked if the defendants had any verifiable proof that same sex marriage will harm ANYTHING. The answer, by the Defendants, was that they didn't have any proof.

[robbyr2]

How many contributions did the anti-gay marriage legislators get from NOM and company? Ah well, its always good to keep the lawyers busy. When NOM comes out for Jesus' position on divorce and re-marriage then they will have credibility. Until then they prove only that bigotry is acceptable in the US.