New York State’s First Gay Marriages

From Niagara Falls and Buffalo all the way to Long Island, gay couples celebrated, as this was the first weekend they were allowed to marry in New York State.

The marriages began at Midnight on Sunday and ran throughout the day. Though not without controversy and backlash, officials reported only minor incidents of shoving and harassing between protesters and and supporters.

New York State may be happy about the new legislation for more than the reason of equality in marriage. Empire State Development Corp. estimates that the newly legalized marriages will generate about $400 million dollars worth of revenue from law, hotel, dining, flower, and other tourist industries. New York's adoption of the new law is expected to be pivotal in the expected nationalization of the equal marriage laws. So far, Connecticut, Iowa, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Vermont, and Washington, D.C have adopted the law in addition to New York.

 Niagara Falls, "The Honeymoon Capital," hopes the new marriages will revilitilize the area and restore interest in the sometimes overlooked wonder of the world in the falls. Mayor Paul Dystor had the falls illuminated in rainbow colors early Sunday morning to celebrate the newly legalized marriages. Couples are expected to flock to the area to marry. In Buffalo, Daniel Rodgers and Scott Klaurens were the first to state their vows Sunday morning. The couple had been married six years ago in Toronto, but this marked the first time it would be recognized by New York State.

[ABC Local]