New Yorkers for Constitutional Freedoms is a
non-profit
A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...
Christian conservative political advocacy group in the State of
New York. The organization was founded in 1982. As of January 2018, Rev. Jason J. McGuire is the organization's Executive Director. NYCF's educational arm, New Yorker's Family Research Foundation, was formed in 1990.
NYCF was active in opposition to
same-sex marriage in New York
Same-sex marriage has been legally recognized in the U.S. state of New York since July 24, 2011 under the '' Marriage Equality Act''. The Act does not have a residency restriction, as some similar laws in other states do. It allows religious orga ...
, which was legalized by the
Marriage Equality Act in 2011. After the Act was passed, NYCF set up a "Courage Fund" to "assist courageous municipal clerks and other people of conscience in New York State who oppose same-sex 'marriage' from harassment, denial of rightful promotion, or unfair termination for invoking New York State law protecting their sincerely-held religious beliefs."
[Cuomo: Clerks Against Same-Sex Marriage "Don't Get to Pick and Choose"](_blank)
After
Barker town clerk Laura Fotusky resigned rather than be forced to sign same-sex marriage licenses, NYCF pledged to match the $25,000 salary she gave up in resigning.
On July 25, 2011, NYCF filed a lawsuit against the
New York Senate
The New York State Senate is the upper house of the New York State Legislature; the New York State Assembly is its lower house. Its members are elected to two-year terms; there are no term limits. There are 63 seats in the Senate.
Partisan compo ...
in the
New York Supreme Court seeking an injunction against the law which had taken effect a day earlier, alleging violations of the law in the process by which the bill was passed. Rev. McGuire, Rev. Duane Motley (NYCF's senior lobbyist), and
Rabbi
A rabbi () is a spiritual leader or religious teacher in Judaism. One becomes a rabbi by being ordained by another rabbi – known as ''semikha'' – following a course of study of Jewish history and texts such as the Talmud. The basic form of ...
Nathaniel Leiter (executive director of the
Orthodox Jewish
Orthodox Judaism is the collective term for the traditionalist and theologically conservative branches of contemporary Judaism. Theologically, it is chiefly defined by regarding the Torah, both Written and Oral, as revealed by God to Moses on M ...
organization Torah Jews for Decency) were named as plaintiffs in the lawsuit. On November 18, 2011, Acting Supreme Court Justice Robert B. Wiggins allowed the plaintiffs' claims under the Open Meetings Law, but dismissed other portions of the case. On July 6, 2012, a five-judge panel of the
Appellate Division ruled unanimously that no violation of the Open Meetings Law had occurred and dismissed the suit. The
New York Court of Appeals, the state's highest court, declined to hear an appeal in the case on October 23, 2012.
See also
*
References
External links
Official site
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Political advocacy groups in the United States
Conservative organizations in the United States