Hundreds of Same-Sex Couples Marry in New York, From Niagara Falls to Manhattan

DemocracyNow.org - Hundreds of gay couples got married across New York state Sunday after it became the sixth and most populous state in the United States to recognize same-sex marriages. New York joins Connecticut, Iowa, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont and the District of Columbia in allowing same-sex unions. But gay marriage is still specifically banned in 39 states. On Sunday, Kitty Lambert, 54, and Cheryle Rudd, 53, were married with Niagara Falls in the backdrop, a traditional honeymoon capital. Both grandmothers, the women celebrated their marriage surrounded by family and friends. Democracy Now!'s Elizabeth Press was there to cover what they described as the first same-sex marriage in New York, as their marriage ceremony began one second after midnight. "We can educate people into understanding that we're your neighbors, we're your coworkers, your friends, we're your family members; and all we're asking for is the right to protect ourselves, the right to have the same protections under law that our neighbors do, that our coworkers do, that our friends and family do. This is about equal access to equal protection under the law," Lambert said.

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