marriage equality

“Hello, Jersey? It’s your cousin, Hampshire. How are you, darling? How is your Garden? How’s your Shore?

Garden State Equality Chair Steven Goldstein said today that he welcomes "Joe the Plumber's" visit to New Jersey to campaign for Republican gubernatorial candidate Steve Lonegan tomorrow, especially in light of controversial comments about gay people he made in an interview that was published today.

"Joe the Plumber," a.k.a. Samuel Wurzelbacher, told Christianity Today that he favors letting states decide the gay marriage question - which is more or less the same position that Garden State Equality takes.  But in elaborating his point, Wurzelbacher made some comments some gay rights activists and progressive groups found offensive:

"People don't understand the dictionary-it's called queer. Queer means strange and unusual. It's not like a slur, like you would call a white person a honky or something like that. You know, God is pretty explicit in what we're supposed to do-what man and woman are for. Now, at the same time, we're supposed to love everybody and accept people, and preach against the sins. I've had some friends that are actually homosexual. And, I mean, they know where I stand, and they know that I wouldn't have them anywhere near my children. But at the same time, they're people, and they're going to do their thing."

It's actually come to this: A panel convened by the legislature of the State of New Jersey has concluded that discrimination is not good. Maybe someday we can look back and laugh, but for now, it's a sad and necessary step toward progress.

The 13-member Civil Union Review Commission tasked with "evaluating the implementation, operation and effectiveness" of the civil union law passed nearly two years ago released its final report today unanimously recommending that "The Legislature and Governor amend the law to allow same-sex couples to marry" and that it be "enacted expeditiously because any delay in marriage equality will harm all the people of New Jersey."

Garden State Equality Chair Steven Goldstein says a new poll shows New Jersey is ready for same sex marriage
Most New Jerseyans support same sex marriage and an even greater percentage have no problem if the state joins Massachusetts and California in passing a same sex marriage law, according to a Zogby International poll conducted by Garden State Equality, a civil rights organization that advocates marriage equality and other gay rights issues.

By a 50%-42% margin, likely New Jersey voters support allowing same sex couples to marry. 59% say they would be fine with a same sex marriage law, and 57% say New Jersey should recognize same sex marriages that took place outside New Jersey.

Cites California as Model for Legislative Initiative

Since the New Jersey civil union law took effect on February 19, 2007, 211 couples have reported to Garden State Equality that their employers refuse to recognize their civil unions.   The New Jersey civil union law is failing at an astonishing 1 in 7 rate.