JOY

Gay Marriage Celebrations Erupt in Greenwich Village

Where gay-rights movement was born.

New York City's Greenwich Village was abuzz with celebration Friday night, after Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed a bill to legalize same-sex marriage in the state. Revelers gathered near the Stonewall Inn, where the city's gay-rights movement was born more than 40 years ago. "Equality is what this means; this is our right as people," said John Huls, 52, in the Stonewall Inn with his partner. People danced in the streets and poured into gay and lesbian bars throughout the West Village. Meanwhile, Mayor Bloomberg weighed in on the measure - the passage of which coincides with the city's annual Gay Pride weekend - calling it a "historic triumph for equality and freedom."