!!% of New York Marriages have been Gay Marriages
At least 9 percent of marriages in New York have been between same-sex couples since the law took effect in July 2011, state records show.
A larger percentage of the gay marriages have taken place in New York City, where 11 percent of the total marriages were between same-sex couples, marriage records obtained by Gannett's Albany Bureau show.
Statewide, nearly 37,000 of the roughly 413,000 marriages in New York between July 2011 and mid-2014 were between same-sex couples, the data from the state Health Department and city Clerk's Office revealed.
But the records don't offer a full picture of how many gay couples have married since New York legalized same-sex marriage in June 2011.
The law allowed for marriage licenses to include an "unspecified" box, so it's unclear whether some marriages were between straight or gay couples. Twelve percent of marriages licenses, or about 50,000, were listed in the unspecified category, records showed.
Having nearly 10 percent of the state's marriages between same-sex couples is not surprising, said Nathan Schaefer, executive director of Empire State Pride Agenda, the state's leading gay-rights group. He said estimates have suggested that a similar amount of the population is gay.
He said the law has improved gay couples' lives and led to a national movement to legalize same-sex marriage. When New York passed the law, it became the sixth and largest state to do so. Now it's legal in 35 states.
"Until New York legalized marriage and then we saw this national wave, I never really grew up with the idea that that would be a possibility for me in my lifetime," Schaefer, 34, said.
Some wedding halls said they've benefited from same-sex marriages and have marketed to the industry.
Tripp Bassett opened Barn on the Pond in Saugerties, in 2012, and he said about 10 percent of the weddings at the converted barn are between same-sex couples.
"To me, it's all inclusive," he said.
In the Finger Lakes, wedding businesses have made it a point to note that they welcome gay couples, said Christina Roberts, spokeswoman for the Finger Lakes Wine Country Tourism Marketing Association.
"It's part of the overall messaging," she said.
Outside New York City, about 6 percent of marriages were between same-sex couples, about 10,000 out of 166,000, while 15 percent were listed as unspecified. In the city, about 27,000 of the 247,000 marriages were between same-sex couples.
When the state legalized same-sex marriage, hundreds celebrated, including in New Paltz; White Plains, Westchester County; New York City; Buffalo; and Rochester. Organizers reported the crowds gave off a vibe of relief, excitement and thankfulness. Revelers sang "New York, New York." Others chanted "U.S.A."
About 150 people had gathered at New Paltz's Peace Park the Saturday evening after legalization, June 25, 2011, near where Mayor Jason West performed same-sex marriages in 2004 until legal actions stopped him.
Critics of the law contended that the percent of marriages between gay couples is inconsequential.
"The numbers are coming in lower than what advocates said it would be when they were pushing for the gay marriage legislation," said Jason McGuire, executive director of New Yorkers for Constitutional Freedoms. "But as we said, we think it has far more to do with forcing society to affirm that lifestyle than it really is about the marital relationship."
Still, gay couples and businesses that cater to same-sex marriages said the law's impact has been profound.
Sue Goodrich, 57, of Penfield, Monroe County, married her partner in Massachusetts just days before the New York law passed. After their marriage, they drove straight to Albany to join rallies for the New York law to pass.
The law passed in a late Friday night legislative session in the state Senate, where four Republicans joined Democrats in a suspenseful vote. Gay advocates chatted "USA, USA," after the law passed, and Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who championed the legislation, did a victory lap through the chamber to thank supporters.
"It makes it possible for me to live my life like any other American. And to not be discriminated against just because of the gender of the person I love," Goodrich said of New York's law.
While there was a flourish of same-sex marriages after the law was passed, the most were in summer 2013. In New York City, there were 1,500 gay marriages in August 2013 — the most of any month — while the most outside the city was a month earlier, 622 in July 2013, the records showed.
The state Health Department had marriage records through part of June 2014, which they collect from county clerk's offices. New York City's records went though September 2014.
Gay-rights activists explained that the number of marriages in summer 2013 was likely due to couples waiting to plan and prepare for their weddings after the law passed two years earlier.
The law has faced resistance from some business owners.
A wedding venue outside Albany was fined $13,000 last month for refusing to host a lesbian wedding, and then decided to stop hosting ceremonies altogether.
The owners of Liberty Ridge Farm said they would continue to host receptions, but not ceremonies, citing their religious beliefs.
"To stay true to their religious beliefs, they could not accept any more ceremonies," their attorney James Trainor told the Associated Press on Nov. 10.
The fight for gay rights is not over in Albany.
Gay-rights groups started a "Not Done Yet" campaign to push for additional state rights, particularly through stalled legislation, called the Gender Expression Non-Discrimination Act.
Republicans who have controlled the state Senate have opposed portions of the act, as have conservative groups. It passed the Democratic-led Assembly seven times. Other proposals would protect LGBT youth from conversion efforts and strengthen adoption laws.
Joseph Spector
Joseph Spector: jspector@gannett.com,
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