An interesting fantasy drummed up in the media to protect Shirley Huntley. Josh sounds like a great little guy, but New York has second-parent adoption. And stepparents (the relationship created by marriage to non-biological parents) do not necessarily have the same legal rights as parents.

If Jeff wanted to be Josh's dad he's had a lot of opportunity before gay marriage to do the paperwork. And gay marriage won't change anything.

But I'm sure they aren't telling Josh that.

When [Jeff Friedman and Andy Zwerin] started lobbying senators, they brought Josh along. One of the senators they spoke with was Shirley Huntley, a Queens Democrat who voted against same-sex marriage in 2009 and told The New York Times, “If they gave me a million dollars, tax free, I just wouldn’t vote for it.”

Last winter, though, she decided she was undecided. And when Friedman and Zwerin brought Josh to Albany one day, the 73-year-old grandmother met with them with an open mind.

... Josh was the tipping point, Huntley said later. Though she kept her new position a secret for weeks, she made up her mind that spring day.

“You say, ‘What the hell,’ ” Huntley said, throwing up her hands. “It’s wonderful.” --New York Capital News