Congratulations, Big Apple!

Lambda Legal reports:

A New York State court ruled today that same-sex couples must be allowed to marry, in a decision that Lambda Legal called “a historic ruling that delivers the state Constitution’s promise of equality to all New Yorkers.” Lambda Legal filed the lawsuit last year, representing five same-sex couples seeking marriage licenses in New York City.

In a 62-page decision issued this morning in New York City, State Supreme Court Justice Doris Ling-Cohan said that the New York State Constitution guarantees basic freedoms to lesbian and gay people – and that those rights are violated when same-sex couples are not allowed to marry. The ruling said the state Constitution requires same-sex couples to have equal access to marriage, and that the couples represented by Lambda Legal must be given marriage licenses.

This is so fucking cool. Great news—finally something to celebrate! For anyone who disagrees, I’d direct you to Justice Ling-Cohan’s eloquent ruling:

Simply put, marriage is viewed by society as the utmost expression of a couple’s commitment and love. Plaintiffs may now seek this ultimate expression through a civil marriage. […] Similar to opposite-sex couples, same-sex couples are entitled to the same fundamental right to follow their hearts and publicly commit to a lifetime partnership with the person of their choosing. The recognition that this fundamental right applies equally to same-sex couples cannot legitimately be said to harm anyone.

And if that didn't convince you, the words of Jo-Ann Shain, who, with her partner, Mary Jo Kennedy, was a plaintiff in the case, surely will:

I was even more moved than I thought I’d be when I heard about this ruling. All of us cried – me, Mary Jo and our 15-year-old daughter. For the first time, our family is being treated with the respect and dignity that our friends, coworkers and neighbors automatically have. […] Last week, Mary Jo and I celebrated our 23rd anniversary together, but we’ve never had all the protections and rights that come with marriage. We need these protections to take responsibility for each other and for our daughter, and we are enormously grateful that the court saw that and said our family should be treated equally.

If you’re still not even the slightest bit happy for Jo-Ann, Mary Jo, their daughter, and every gay and lesbian in New York who has just been granted equal rights, then you’re probably just an ass who doesn’t belong at this site, anyhow.

Congratulations, New Yorkers. There are tears of joy for you in this red state today.

(Note that the ruling will be stayed for 30 days to give New York City the opportunity to file a notice of appeal in state appeals court, should they so choose.)