New York Same-Sex Couples Have Equal Right to Marry Under State Constitution, Lambda Legal Says

(New York, Friday, October 22, 2004) - Lambda Legal today issued the following statement from Susan Sommer, Supervising Attorney, who is lead counsel for Lambda Legal's lawsuit seeking marriage equality in New York: "We believe same-sex couples have the same fundamental right to marry as any other couple under the New York State Constitution, and we're pursuing that aggressively in our lawsuit that's pending in Manhattan. No doubt this question -- whether same-sex couples have an equal right to marry under the state's Constitution -- will be answered by the state's high court. There are a number of cases that followed the one we filed in New York City seeking to end discrimination in marriage, and they are in different courts with different arguments and different judges. Ultimately, the question of equality for the families we serve will be addressed by the state's high court. Meanwhile, we're moving forward quickly with our case in Manhattan."