Couples wed in NY's first same-sex marriages

CAROLYN THOMPSON AP 07/24/2011 19:35

Ray Durand, left, and Dale Shields kiss while having their picture taken after their wedding ceremony at the City Clerk's Office Sunday.

From Niagara Falls to Long Island, hundreds of gay couples were married Sunday in joyous, long-awaited ceremonies as New York became the sixth and largest state to recognize same-sex marriage.

Dressed in everything from formal suits and traditional white gowns to T-shirts, the couples began saying "I do" at midnight to the cheers and applause of family, friends and supporters.

"To us, we always felt married. But we didn't have equality," said Cindy Golden, just moments after saying her vows at the Manhattan city clerk's office and formally taking the name of her partner of 16 years.

"I didn't think it would ever happen," Sophia Golden said, "to see it happen in this lifetime."

The National Organization for Marriage held rallies attended by thousands in New York City, Albany, Buffalo and Rochester. Protesters said Gov. Andrew Cuomo and state lawmakers had redefined marriage without giving voters input, as they have been allowed in other states.

Cuomo campaigned in support of gay marriage, which he called a basic human right, and lobbied the Legislature hard before its historic June 24 vote to legalize it.

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