TEARS and CHEERS

On the first day that same-sex couples could wed in the State of New York, Sunday, July 24, they came two by two to City Hall, the marriage bureaus, houses of worship, and even the Broadway stage to take their long awaited vows and be legally committed to each other.
One of the first ceremonies in the city was between 77-year-old Phylis Siegel, who married her 85-year-old companion, Connie Kopelov, at the Manhattan city clerk’s office.
First to say their vows in Queens were Greg Levine, 32, and Shane Serkiz, 33, at Queens Borough Hall.
It was an 18 year wait in Brooklyn for Michael Faurey, 63 and Bobby Anagna to exchange their promises of love and loyalty.
We applaud the extra efforts our underpaid judiciary (no raises in 12 years) made by volunteering to work on Sunday and issue a record 659 marriage licenses and perform 484 ceremonies. Wow.
While New York has become the sixth and largest state to allow same-sex marriage, there are still volumes of law that have to be considered and written in order to make these new unions truly equal with their heterosexual counterparts.
? Can a couple get married if they previously entered into a civil union or domestic partnership in New York or elsewhere?
? Can same-sex spouses change their names in New York?
? Is a spouse liable for the other spouse’s debts?
?How are children affected by same-sex marriages?
The Bar Association and its Committee on LGBT People and the Law have an eight-page brochure that can be downloaded at www.nysba.org/MarriageEqualityFAQ.
The FAQ brochure, developed by a panel of legal experts, addresses a wide range of issues involving the Marriage Equality Act. They include: residency requirements; waiting periods; who is authorized to perform marriages; name changes; validity of New York same-sex marriages in other states; general rights and obligations that come with marriage; prenuptial agreements; and children, parental rights and non-biological adoptions.
Additionally, the FAQ recommends that same-sex couples travel with copies of health care proxies, powers of attorney and hospital visitation authorization forms for use in the event of an emergency. It also warns that even these documents may not protect same-sex couples if the laws of a particular jurisdiction do not recognize their validity.
Now the work of marriage truly begins for all of the newly minted wedded couples. Marriage is so much more than just a couple hundred words spoken with sincerity and adoration and washed away with a taste of cake and a swallow of champagne.
Marriage is commitment – 24/7. Good Luck to all.