Judge Rules Against Gay Couples in N.Y.
By AP from the NYTimes on the Web, February 24, 2005
ITHACA, N.Y. -- A judge has ruled against a group of same-sex couples who challenged the state's anti-gay marriage law after they were denied marriage licenses.
The 25 couples sued the city of Ithaca and the state last June, arguing that the law contradicts a 2002 New York statute outlawing discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation.
But State Supreme Court Judge Robert Mulvey rejected that argument Wednesday, saying it is up to the Legislature to change the law, not the courts.
"Social perceptions of same-sex civil contracts may change over time," Mulvey wrote in his ruling. "If that day comes, it is within the province of the Legislature to so act."
The couples' lawyer said they would appeal.
Earlier this month, a judge ruled in a similar lawsuit filed by five same-sex couples in New York City that the state's ban on gay marriage is unconstitutional. That case also is being appealed.
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