On June 26, 2011, the Marriage Equality Act was passed in New York. New York became the fifth state to recognize same sex marriages. The Marriage Equality Act states “a marriage that is otherwise valid shall be valid whether the parties of the marriage are of the same or different sex.” The intent of the statute is to allow marriage to become a … [Read more...]
Canadian Gay Marriage Valid, Partner to Inherit in Probate Court
The Appellate Division in New York held in February of 2011, in the matter of the Estate of H. Kenneth Ranftle, that they recognize as valid the Canadian marriage of H. Kenneth Ranftle and J. Craig Leiby. The late Kenneth Ranftle named Craig as "surviving spouse and sole distributee" in his will. The court found that the recognizing of the Canadian … [Read more...]
Obama Administration Refuses to Defend the Defense of Marriage Act
In 1996, a Federal Statute was passed by Congress that prevented federal recognition of same sex marriages. President Obama has recently directed the Justice Department to stop taking legal action to defend this law in court. The Obama Administration's decision was presented to members of Congress by a letter written by Attorney General Eric H. … [Read more...]
