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Upstate Clerk Who Refuses To Marry Gays Re-Elected
By
Jamie Feldmar
Published Nov 9, 2011
Modified Nov 9, 2011
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By
Jamie Feldmar
Published Nov 9, 2011
Modified Nov 9, 2011
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Rose Marie Belforti, the state clerk in tiny upstate Ledyard, New York who refuses to sign same-sex marriage licenses on religious grounds, has been re-elected and will serve another two years.
Belforti defeated write-in candidate Ed Easter with 305 votes to his 186. "I appreciate it very much. I’m very thankful...I feel great that people were able to support me even though I wanted to do something different and challenge Governor (Andrew) Cuomo’s law," she told the Auburn Citizen. The job is important to her, she added, not just for moral reasons, but also economic: her business, Finger Lakes Dexter Creamery, has lost half of its business because of a boycott resulting from the publicity around her beliefs.
Belforti first gained attention this summer, when she turned down a lesbian couple's license request and the couple considered suing. The work-around she devised to legally keep her job is to arrange for a deputy to issue all marriage licenses by appointment, for gay and straight couples alike.
Easter, for his part, was proud of his first-time efforts, saying he appreciated the support he received in his uphill campaign. "Considering we came into the game so late, I thought we did a really, really good job," he said, emphasizing that his platform was less about gay rights than civil rights. "One of the lessons I got out of this was, win or lose, it’s important that you get out and you make an informed statement," he said. "I came into this trying to make sure that people knew there was an option."
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