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In a landmark case, an American court has ruled that gay couples who tie the knot in Canada can be treated as legally married in the state of New York.Justice Joan Lefkowitz of the New York Supreme Court ruled last week that same-sex marriages performed outside the country are valid, even though gay New Yorkers cannot be legally married in their home state.This is the first time Canadian same-sex marriage laws have triumphed in U.S. court, according to Alphonso David, a lawyer for the gay rights group Lambda Legal, which intervened in the case.“Couples can go to sleep at night without worrying about the security of their status,” says David.“I feel vindicated,” his client, Robert Voorheis, told reporters after the March 12 ruling. “When I say, `I'm married,' I'm married.”Voorheis and his partner, both of Yonkers, N.Y., were married in Niagara Falls, Ont., four years ago.“This is extremely important,” says Andrew Koppelman, a Northwestern University law professor and expert on the issue.If the ruling holds up on appeal, “it will mean for all practical purposes, same-sex marriage is legal in the state of New York,” because people can easily cross the border to get married, said Koppelman.To read more go to:
As in the days of Noah...
