FOR RELEASE:

DiNapoli Statement on California Same-Sex Marriage Ruling

“California’s Federal District Court made the right decision this afternoon by declaring Proposition 8 unconstitutional. The ban on gay marriage was unfair and amounted to legalized discrimination. Same-sex couples everywhere should be afforded the same opportunity to form meaningful and lasting unions as everyone else.

“In September, 2007, I directed the New York State and Local Retirement System to recognize same-sex marriages wherever they are performed. This policy guarantees that all surviving spouses have access to certain retirement benefits, including accidental death benefits awarded in certain situations and a cost-of-living adjustment to monthly pension payments.”

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