Watch For Gay Marriage In New Jersey

Today's Press of Atlantic City and Philadelphia Inquirer (July 10, 2005) both reported on the push for gay marriage in NJ. For a year now, NJ has had domestic partnership laws, but for most same-sex couples, this is not enough. Steven Goldstein, Chairman of Garden State Equality, has counted 10 rights for domestic partners, compared to 1,049 for married couples.
The articles tell the story of Rosalind Heggs and Paula Long. On 9/8/01, this couple drove to Vermont for a civil union ceremony. In NJ, however, this union has no recognition. In March, Heggs suffered a heart attack, a stroke, and a collapsed lung, and was treated at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, Camden. Heggs sister, not Long, had to provide medical consent. And when nurses removed Heggs' wedding ring, they put it in a safe rather than give it to Long, who was in the room. (The hospital later apologized after recognizing the state's domestic partners law entitled Long to make medical decisions for her partner and hold the ring). However, this made the couple long to be married so that their relationship would not be subject to legal questions.
Heggs and Long are among many gay couples pushing to make same-sex marriage legal in NJ. Rather than celebrate the one-year anniversary of the domestic partner law, many gays in NJ are fighting for more. A case is forthcoming this fall in the State Supreme Court that seeks full marriage benefits for gay unions. A state appeals court in June ruled against the 9 same-sex couples bringing forth a lawsuit, but the one impassioned dissent of one of the judges was enough to provide hope that the State Supreme Court will side with the couples. Experts say that NJ's Supreme Court has in the past been very protective and progressive on civil rights issues, and many are confident NJ will have same-sex marriage rights soon. Let's hope so.
P.S. Assemblywoman Loretta Weinberg (D-Bergen), who was the major supporter of domestic partner rights in NJ, said that while she is often thanked for pushing the domestic partnership law, she DOES NOT hear from gay people who think the law is enough. I encourage you to contact Assemblywoman Weinberg and let her know your position.