July 1989 – Court Rulings Define Same-Sex Couples as Families

“The New York State Court of Appeals declares that a lesbian or gay couple living together for a least ten years can be considered a family for purposes of rent control protection, the first time a state’s highest court rules that a gay couple can be called a family…

The California Bar Association urges that lesbian and gay marriage be legally recognized and in Seattle, San Francisco and other cities, ‘partners’ regulations extending certain protections and rights to unmarried couples, straight and gay, are adopted.”