New York Governor David Paterson has instructed all state agencies to revise policies and regulations to recognise same-sex marriages from other jurisdictions, the Associated Press reported May 29. Such issues include family health care plans, joint tax filing, stronger adoption rights and property inheritance.
Same-sex marriages have been recognised by courts in California and Massachusetts. California's Supreme Court heard a case from a lesbian whose doctor refused to perform artificial insemination because of her sexual orientation, the AP reported May 28. A ruling in the case could determine whether doctors' religious beliefs allow them to withhold medical treatments.