Conservative
legal group the Alliance Defense Fund will face off in the
New York supreme court on Thursday against Gov. David
Paterson about his executive order to recognize
out-of-state gay unions. The group is citing the
definition of the word marriage according to the
online edition of the Merriam-Webster dictionary,
claiming that legal recognition of same-sex marriages
would "undermine the democratic process and force
taxpayers to fund benefits for same-sex couples," TheNew York Sun reports.
"The
governor should respect New York's marriage laws over
the laws of foreign jurisdictions," ADF senior legal
counsel Brian Raum said in a press release. "Governor
Paterson is overstepping his authority and the
democratic process by issuing a directive at odds with New
York public policy on marriage."
Paterson issued
an executive order in May directing state agencies to
recognize same-sex couples who were married or who entered
civil unions in other states. Gay marriages are not
legal in New York but have been recognized by common
law as legitimate unions in New York, according to the
report.
The lawsuit was
filed on June 3, with a July 15 court date, but the trial
was postponed. Other plaintiffs in the case include New York
State assembly members Daniel Burling, Brian Kolb,
minority leader James Tedisco, and senators Martin
Golden and Serphin Maltese. (The Advocate)
