1960's - "Uncle Stanley and Uncle Ronald" help the young David A. Paterson with his spelling, read to him, and play cards with him.
1985 - Paterson reaches out to gay men and lesbian voters during his campaign for State Senate, which was his first run for public office.
1980's - Paterson introduces the State Senate's first hate crimes bill and refuses to support a compromise that did not include gay men and lesbians.
1994 - Paterson announces his support for gay marriage.
2000 - Hate crimes bill becomes law in New York State.
c. 2001 - Paterson co-sponsors State Senator Tom Duane's gay marriage bill.
2003 - Paterson becomes State Senate Minority Leader.
June 12, 2003 - Ontario becomes the first Canadian province to legalize same-sex marriage. Other provinces do the same over the course of the next two years.
July 5, 2004 - Patricia Martinez of New York marries her female partner in Ontario, Canada.
January 13, 2005 - Martinez v. County of Monroe filed in State Supreme Court on behalf of Patricia Martinez, an employee of Monroe Community College in Rochester, seeking health care benefits for her female partner.
July 20, 2005 - Same-sex marriage becomes law nationwide in Canada.
January 1, 2007 - Paterson becomes Lt. Governor of New York.
February 1, 2008 - NY State Court of Appeals rules in Martinez v. County of Monroe that marriages of same-sex couples entered into outside of New York must be recognized, as is in keeping with New York's longstanding practice of recognizing marriages from other jurisdictions.
March 17, 2008 - Paterson assumes office as the 55th Governor of New York. Sometime later, David Nocenti, legal counsel, raises issue of the Martinez v. County of Monroe ruling with Paterson.
May 14, 2008 - Governor's Office issues a memorandum to State agencies calling on them to bring their policies in line with the Martinez v. County of Monroe ruling.
May 15, 2008 - The Supreme Court of California overturns the state's ban on same-sex marriage.
May 17, 2008 - Paterson announces the May 14 memorandum.
As of May 30, 2008 - Either Martinez v. County of Monroe or a similar case is expected by many legal experts to reach the Court of Appeals, New York State's highest court. Those publicly speaking out against the memorandum and who may be involved in challenging its constitutionality include Senate majority leader, Joseph L. Bruno; Richard E. Barnes, the executive director of the New York State Catholic Conference; Rev. Duane Motley, executive director of New Yorkers for Constitutional Freedoms, and Michael Long, the head of the state Conservative Party.
Sources: The New York Times. "How Governor Set His Stance on Gay Rights," "Fighting Same-Sex Policy Seems to Be Uphill Battle" and "Gay Marriage Opponents Consider Ways to Fight New Policy," May 30, 2008.
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