Today Gay History: Mayor Jason Wt Illegally Married 24 Same-Sex Coupl

new paltz mayor gay marriage

New York State Attorney General Elt Spzer and New Paltz (NY) Mayor Jason Wt, who was charged wh illegally marryg 25 same-sex upl whout licens, meet to discs their posns on gay marriage (M)

Contents:

SPZER AND NEW PALTZ MAYOR MEET ABOUT GAY MARRIAG

* new paltz mayor gay marriage *

Now that marriage is beg possible for gay Amerins, are they feelg a new prsure to tie the knot? John Edwards says the issue of gay marriage should be left to stat, and not the feral ernment. Mayor Jason Wt said he nsirs his "moral obligatn" to issue marriage licens to gay upl.

SAME-SEX MARRIAGE: NEW PALTZ; DPE CHARG, MAYOR PLEDG TO KEEP MARRYG GAY COUPL

New Paltz (NY) Mayor Jason Wt says he will still solemnize same-sex marriag after beg arraigned for illegally marryg 25 gay upl (M) * new paltz mayor gay marriage *

"Separate but equal didn't work for blacks and wh and don't work for gays and straight people, " he said. In San Francis, more than 3, 000 upl, cludg Rosie O'Donnell, have been married sce Mayor Gav Newsom permted gay marriag on Febary 12. Earlier this month, the Supreme Judicial Court of Massachetts led that gays and lbians were entled to full, equal marriage rights and that civil unns were unnstutnal.

“By that time, gay upl were sug their town clerks for refal to give their marriage licens on civil rights grounds. New York|Spzer and New Paltz Mayor Meet About Gay Marriag ADVERTISEMENTMarch 12, 2004Elt Spzer, New York's attorney general, discsed the issue of same-sex marriage yterday wh Jason Wt, the mayor of New Paltz, who nducted marriag for 25 gay upl his village two weeks ago. A versn of this article appears prt on, Sectn B, Page 4 of the Natnal edn wh the headle: Spzer and New Paltz Mayor Meet About Gay Marriag.

New York|SAME-SEX MARRIAGE: NEW PALTZ; Dpe Charg, Mayor Pledg To Keep Marryg Gay Coupl ADVERTISEMENTSAME-SEX MARRIAGE: NEW PALTZMarch 4, 2004Shortly after beg arraigned on mismeanor charg on Wednday for the same-sex marriage ceremoni he performed this village last week, Mayor Jason Wt fiantly said he would ntue solemnizg such marriag.

COURT SAYS NEW PALTZ MAYOR CAN'T HOLD GAY WEDDGS

Jtice E Michael Kavanagh permanently bars Mayor Jason Wt of New Paltz, NY, om nductg same-sex marriag whout licens; says public officials mt obey even those laws that they nsir unjt; do not addrs nstutnaly of state's marriage laws; gay rights groups say lg is first permanent junctn barrg officials om nductg same-sex marriag natn; Unarian clergy and group lled New Paltz Equaly Iniative ntue to solemnizg marriag village; photo (M) * new paltz mayor gay marriage *

Standg before Village Hall on the same parkg lot where he married 25 gay upl on Friday, Mr. Wt, 26, lled gay marriage the greatt civil rights issue of his generatn. Wt told a crowd of supporters, addg that he would ntue solemnizg gay marriag on Saturday.

NEW PALTZ, N.Y., MAYOR WON'T BACK DOWN ON GAY MARRIAGE

Dozens of same-sex upl led up outsi the New York cy clerk's office Thursday morng to obta marriage licens but were turned away wh a letter sayg gay marriag are illegal the state. But upstate, Jason Wt, the mayor of New Paltz, N.Y., says he'll ntue nductg same-sex marriag, even though he's been charged wh performg such marriag whout a license. NPR's Bob Edwards talks wh Wt. * new paltz mayor gay marriage *

Me amid a whirlwd day which the mayor juggled preparatns for a regular Village Board meetg wh natnal televisn appearanc and a drive to Albany to ttify before the State also me on the same day that Attorney General Elt Spzer's office issued an opn remendg that lol officials not issue marriage licens to gays or solemnize gay marriag until the urts settle the matter. Wt, a hoepater, need to pay to receive his llege vast majory of telephone msag were favor of the mayor's actns, the volunteers said, but some members of the Village Board worried that the gay marriage issue had eclipsed important public bs. A versn of this article appears prt on, Sectn B, Page 6 of the Natnal edn wh the headle: SAME-SEX MARRIAGE: NEW PALTZ; Dpe Charg, Mayor Pledg To Keep Marryg Gay Coupl.

Y., om nductg same-sex marriag whout licens, strsg the importance of public officials' obeyg even those laws that they nsir lg, which did not addrs the nstutnaly of the state's marriage laws, is the untry's first permanent junctn issued by a urt that bars a public official om nductg same-sex marriag, acrdg to the Lambda Legal Edutn and Defense Fund, a natnal gay rights group.

A versn of this article appears prt on, Sectn B, Page 6 of the Natnal edn wh the headle: Court Says New Paltz Mayor Can't Hold Gay Weddgs.

GAY MARRIAGE: Y? NO?

Gay upl have started gatherg a Hudson Valley village where the mayor says he will beg performg marriage ceremoni for same-sex partners today. * new paltz mayor gay marriage *

Y., Mayor Won't Back Down on Gay Marriage Dozens of same-sex upl led up outsi the New York cy clerk's office Thursday morng to obta marriage licens but were turned away wh a letter sayg gay marriag are illegal the state. Y., Mayor Won't Back Down on Gay Marriage. Dozens of same-sex upl led up outsi the New York cy clerk's office Thursday morng to obta marriage licens but were turned away wh a letter sayg gay marriag are illegal the state.

Not here, most lol officials sayNew Paltz Mayor Jason Wt is ready and willg to marry several gay upl who want him to officiate at their weddgs.

GAY UPL GATHER NEW PALTZ TO GET MARRIED

The gay marriage bate moved to New York as the mayor of New Paltz performed ceremoni for same-sex upl. * new paltz mayor gay marriage *

"It's more than OK, " said Wt, who was elected as a Green Party ndidate, of gay marriage.

She cled to issue marriage licens Monday to two gay upl who me to Town Hall. "Some lawyers say the qutn of gay marriage is open to bate, but lol officials don't seem to have any doubts.

GAY MARRIAGE DEBATE SHIFTS TO SMALL NEW YORK VILLAGE

A town judge on Thursday dismissed crimal charg agast New Paltz Mayor Jason Wt for marryg gay upl earlier this year. * new paltz mayor gay marriage *

While 38 stat have laws banng same-sex marriage, acrdg to Lambda Legal, a group that promot gay civil rights, New York isn't one of them. "Wheman heads a mtee of the New York Bar Associatn that's studyg legal issu affectg gay upl. It's due to release s fdgs later this 2001, a report om a siar mtee of the Associatn of the Bar of the Cy of New York said that New York's marriage laws are genr ntral, and so don't bar gay gay marriage bate has been swirlg for years on New York's borrs.

Gay marriage is legal some Canadian provc, and urts Massachetts say the state nstutn giv same-sex upl the right to ntroversy has been heatg up natnally, wh thoands of same-sex upl gettg hched San Francis, and Print Bh llg for a nstutnal amendment to ban gays om the ntentn has been heatg up New York, too. Upstate, Schenectady Mayor Brian Stratton said this week that he's willg to make his stgglg cy a Fris on the Mohawk River and marry gays, unls some thory tells him month, the cy attorney for Rochter issued an opn sayg the cy clerk n't issue licens to gay rmal survey of town and cy officials the mid-Hudson found that they've field a handful of quiri om gay upl.

They rpond by eher cg a state Department of Health directive sayg the state don't allow gay marriag, or they refer the matter to a Middletown, Charl Mchell, the cy's puty clerk and registrar said, "I'll do like I always do when I have a qutn about a marriage license or any other val rerd: I'll ll Albany and ask them what I n do, legally. "If a gay uple asks Port Jervis Mayor Gary Loprreto officiate at their weddg, he said he'll ll upon the cy attorney for help and hold off until he gets an Newburgh, three or four gay upl have sought licens the that Katra Cotten has been puty registrar. Newburgh Mayor Nick Valente said that, as a Roman Catholic, his personal nvictns won't allow him to perform a gay weddg ceremony, even if a uple managed to secure a license.

*BEAR-MAGAZINE.COM* NEW PALTZ MAYOR GAY MARRIAGE

New Paltz, N.Y., Mayor Won't Back Down on Gay Marriage : NPR .

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