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Line
Up and Be Counted
Same-sex
couples are going to start lining up at Albany City Hall to
request marriage licenses tomorrow (April 30) at 11 AM, in
what will be the first such lineup at a local city hall.
Couples with proper identification can apply for licenses
even though the city will not accept them. If couples are
not yet registered as domestic partners in the city, organizers
are encouraging that they register, though they admit it’s
something of a consolation prize compared to a marriage license.
“I
don’t think we can ask the mayor in good faith or the Common
Council to go ahead and grant pirate licenses,” said organizer
Jim Larson, who noted that it’s important to stand up and
ask for equality. He added that they would like to see Albany
join other municipalities in New York that have pledged to
recognize same-sex couples married elsewhere, like Canada
or Massachusetts.
Richard Conti, the president pro tempore of the Albany Common
Council, said he believes New York’s municipalities should
recognize marriages performed out of state, as the state attorney
general opined earlier this year. He thinks the city needs
to be considering the issue. “I’ve asked for our own legal
opinion from our corporation counsel office, and I’m waiting
for something on that, that I hope will form the basis of
some positive decision making,” he said.
The people behind the “get in line” event started organizing
local direct actions in true grass-roots fashion, because
they felt no one else was doing anything about marriage equality
here. They formed a Yahoo! Group online and are holding fund-raisers,
including one at the Lark Street restaurant DeJohn’s tomorrow
(Friday) to benefit the Human Rights Campaign, a national
gay-rights organization.
For now, the big thing is actually lining up at City Hall.
“It would be great if a lot of people showed up,” said organizer
Rex DeVoe.
Organizers want to be clear that this is not just a gay issue,
and they encourage anyone to show up or line up in support
of marriage equality. “Go with your frat brother or go with
the girl in the office,” Larson urged. “You may not be a same-sex
couple, but present yourself.”
—Ashley
Hahn
ahahn@metroland.net
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