NJ Stonewall Comments on Marriage Equality

by: EJZip

Thu Jan 07, 2010 at 08:07:26 PM EST

Barbra Casbar-Siperstein, President, New Jersey Stonewall Democrats tells us:
"Despite the leadership of bill sponsors Democratic Senator Loretta Weinberg and Democratic Senator Raymond Lesniak and the hard work of grassroots activists including the members of the New Jersey Stonewall Democrats, the bill failed with 14 yes votes and 20 no votes.
"Today's vote just prolongs the inequality felt by same-gender couples across New Jersey, and underscores a stark truth: as the LGBT community continues to fight for our equal rights, we need to pay attention to whom we are electing to office. The importance of electing pro-equality Democrats has never been clearer."

I say: "that if Governor Corzine had been re-elected over anti-equality Governor-elect Christie, I believe we would have had the necessary support for the bill to pass as our legislators would have voted their conscience and made all LGBTI citizens equal under the law."

The New Jersey Supreme Court in 2006 obligated the state legislature to provide either marriage or another structure that provides equal protection to same gender couples in New Jersey. Today the legislature failed to do so and has admitted that civil unions do not provide equal protection. NJ Stonewall Democrats supports Garden State Equality's and Lambda Legal's decision to fight today's decision in the state courts.