Gallery Carre
N.Y. Court Overturns Former Ruling Against Recognition of Canadian Same-Sex “Marriages” (LifeSiteNews)
Mar 31st, 2008 by Viviane
Pro-homosexual legal group hails decision as “another NY win on marriage”
By Michael Baggot
BROOKLYN, NY, March 31, 2008 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Last Tuesday, in a decision that follows the trend towards greater state recognition of same-sex “marriages,” the New York Appellate Division invalidated a lower court decision stating that Brady Davis was not entitled to New York health benefits as the partner of the man he “married” in Canada.
In 2006, a lower court had rejected Duke Funderburke’s request to extend his New York Uniondale Union Free School District retirement plan to his partner, Davis, whom Funderburke had legally “married” in Ontario in 2004.
In May 2007, the New York State Department of Civil Service decided to grant benefits to same-sex spouses under the New York State Health Insurance Program, thus allowing Davis and other same-sex spouses of public employees to receive health benefits.
Because the state now afforded same-sex spouses the sort of coverage Funderburke and Davis appealed for, the appellate court considered their appeal moot. In addition, the appellate court vacated the original 2006 lower court ruling that refused to recognize health benefit rights of same-sex spouses married in foreign countries. (more . . .)