7 NJ couples file suit demanding gay marriage

[w8liftinglady]

http://www.ksro.com/news/article.aspx?id=3127316

Seven gay couples and many of their children filed a lawsuit Wednesday to demand New Jersey recognize gay marriage, saying it's the only way to solve inequities created by the state's four-year-old civil union law.

New Jersey lawmakers created that law to try to fulfill a 2006 state Supreme Court order that committed gay couples be given the same legal protections and benefits as married couples. The couples say that in places like insurance offices and hospital emergency rooms where marriage rights come into play, the civil union doesn't cut it.

The suit offers several examples: lesbians who had to pay thousands of dollars for the non-birth mother to adopt their child; couples who have found they have to carry binders of legal documents to prove their relationships in case of emergency. Not being married, they say, makes their children wonder why society doesn't value their families as much as others.

[sabbat hunter]

1. the fat moron

that is the current governor of NJ has already said that he will veto any such bill. So the people of NJ need to get enough votes in the legislature that they can override his veto.

[RetiredTrotskyite]

3. Yep. Time to Show the Dick He DOESN'T OWN New Jersey!

[JackBeck]

4. Although we have bi-partisan support, both in the legislature and from within his own administration

we are not ready to take the legislative route any time in the near future, which is why are taking the state back to court.

[LynneSin]

2. I just read about that in our local paper here in Delaware

We had to go with Civil Unions since DOMA was in the constitution and would require alot more effort to overturn it. Figured it was best to get something done now and then work on correcting our constitution. I read the bill they passed in Delaware and it is suppose to make Civil Unions equal in every way except the word (can't call it a marriage just yet).

I thought it was a great bill but then after reading the article I realized that people will still find ways to discriminate.

The change doesn't become official until Jan 1st but I hope the state does a strong enough job to promote the fact that civil unions means they get all the privledges no exceptions.

[JackBeck]

5. What I find pretty exciting about the new lawsuit

is that our case combines both state and federal claims. Not only will we prove that civil unions violate our state rights, but also show that civil unions are in violation of the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.