Morning Sweep

Yesterday in state Supreme Court in the Bronx, the state defended Governor Paterson's action to recognize legal out-of-state marriages of same-sex couples and asked the judge to dismiss the lawsuit filed by an out-of-state conservative Christian legal group. It appears the Arizona-based Alliance Defense Fund may have had a tough day in court. Go here for the Associated Press account. The New York Sun, after listening to the judge's comments, went as far as to predict a first-round victory for Governor Paterson and the state on this issue. The judge expects to announce the lower court verdict by Labor Day.

New York Times education writer Jennifer Medina reports that the Republican Majority in the New York State Senate has quietly introduced legislation that reconciles most of the outstanding differences it has had with the Assembly’s Dignity for All Students Act (Dignity). Dignity requires public schools to put in place policies to combat bias-based bullying and violence against students. Bias categories are several and include sexual orientation and gender identity and expression. The Assembly has passed Dignity every year since 2002.

Assemblymember Dede Scozzafava, one of three Republican votes for marriage equality legislation in the Assembly, tells the Fox television affiliate in Watertown that she will continue to support gay marriage when it comes up for a vote. Scozzafava tells the reporter, “I have to do what is right. I wasn’t put on this earth to judge whether a relationship is right or wrong.” She also says her religion has taught her a traditional view of marriage, but that doesn’t mean it should affect anyone’s civil rights.

Carmen's Place, the shelter for LGBTQ youth has announced that is moving to a larger, safer place in Queens. Recently, one of the residents was beaten up on Steinway Street after the attackers started calling her names.

The latest adoption statistics put out by the CDC's National Center for Health Statistics show that men are twice as likely to adopt children as woman. While the factors behind this are several, Kim Hofer with the New York University of Rochester Medical Center says the increasing trend all over the country of same-sex couples adopting children must be considered as a factor, particularly since gay men who want children usually have to adopt.