Gay marriage has been making some back door headway here in New York state. As we saw in last week's lesbian divorce – and an earlier ruling recognizing out of state ceremonies – the courts are becoming increasingly involved in deciding relationships' fates.

The New York Times takes some time today to examine the legal implications and debates. Here's a bit of the article's innards:

"If a heterosexual couple got married in France and then came here, they would be married,” said Jeffrey Wicks, a lawyer who represented Ms. Martinez in cooperation with the New York Civil Liberties Union. “We recognize foreign marriages, just the same as we recognize Mexican divorces.”

But opponents are not giving up so easily.
…
Recognition of same-sex marriage is a huge change that “should not be something that bypasses the democratic process,” said Brian Raum, senior legal counsel for the Alliance Defense Fund.

It's a dicey issue, to be sure. We're all about the democratic process around here, but not if those mechanisms support illiberal ideologies, like Baum's unholy mission.