Gay Marriage Legal in New York Today

While many celebrate, the National Organization for Marriage has organized protests in Manhattan, Buffalo, and Rochester.

It’s official: after years of struggle, same-sex couples can finally marry in New York state as a new law allowing same-sex marriage took effect midnight Sunday. Across the state, 823 couples signed up to marry on the first day possible with hundreds of judges, politicians, religious leaders and clerks opening their offices to officiate at ceremonies. Weddings are also set to take place at Niagara Falls, in Central Park, onstage after a staging of the musical Hair, and beneath rainbow-coloured huppas in the West Village. New York became the sixth and most populous state to legalize same-sex marriage.