Another Step

New York Court Rules Gays Must Be Allowed To Marry

We keep taking dozens of steps back for every step forward, but the forward steps are the ones that will last. Today's ruling in New York doesn't mean that gay couples in New York will start getting married tomorrow; there will surely be an appeal. But State Supreme Court Justice Doris Ling-Cohan has put the state on the right track, writing a beautiful decision that one hopes will stand the test of New York's Court of Appeals. I want very much to quote it here, but as I read the pages I find more and more to quote. This is a very good ruling on a very good day...

"ORDERED that defendant is permanently enjoined from denying a marriage license to any couple, solely on the ground that the two persons in the couple are of the same sex..."

"Marriage is, without a doubt, the cornerstone of the family and our civilization. As marriage constitutes the most intimate of relationships, the decision of whom and when to marry is highly personal, involving complex reasons which vary from individual to individual. Thus, the decision to marry should rest primarily in the hands of the individual, with little government interference..."

If only this were happening in Illinois...