New York Supreme Court Upolds Validity Of Paterson's Executive Order On Gay Marriage Recognition

New York, NY (AHN) - The New York Supreme Court upheld an executive order signed by Gov. David Paterson which mandated government agencies to recognize same sex marriages done outside the state.

In effect, the decision by Judge Lucy Billings threw out the first direct legal challenge to the recognition of gay marriages in New York, even if the wedding was solemnized outside New York.

In her decision issued Tuesday, Billings wrote, "When partners manifest the commitment to their relationship and family, by solemnizing that commitment elsewhere, through one of life's most significant events, and come to New York, whether returning home or setting down roots, to carry on that commitment, nothing is more antithetical to family stability than requiring them to abandon that solemnized commitment."