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02/18/2008
SHOCKER -- NJ's separate and not quite equal system has flaws!
So you know how ever since New Jersey's state lawmakers chose to initiate court-mandated civil equality by granting gays' civil unions rather than full marriage, we've been saying that the decision was a short-sighted one? Yea, well guess what? The commission that was set up to study the effectiveness of the Garden States' civil unions implementation agrees with us. In a report scheduled to be publicly released tomorrow, the body finds that the alernate form of parity is not providing true equality for gay couples, and is even creating a "second-class status":
Report Finds Problems With NJ Gay Unions [AP via Google]
So essentially the New Jersey legislature has implemented a non-required interim step that has done nothing more than waste everyone's time. They were given the choice to either put this tired non-issue behind us or to install a system that would force locals to continue to direct focus on this instead of other ACTUAL social issues, and they unfortunately chose the latter. However, the court did NOT give state lawmakers a choice in terms of whether they would give gays equality or "second-class status." They were commanded to give the SAME rights and benefits, which is seeming more and more apparent to be something that they've failed to do. So this latest evaluation is not only an "I told you so" document for gay activists, but also a failing report card on this subject for Jersey's legislative body! And that failure is unacceptable not only in our unapologetically pro-gay eyes, but also in the eyes of the state Supreme Court!
Perhaps someday our lawmakers and politicians will start actually listening to the gay activists who have (a) lived in the skin of a queer person and therefore know what inequality feels like, and (b) poured over this issue that is no near and dear to their hearts. For we are not the ones who are being strategic or are muddying the waters of this debate when we we rise up and demand the SAME version of equality. History will ultimately bare this out all across the nation, nay, world. Jersey, however, has the opportunity to give us our deserved rights in the here and now. Do the right thing, Jersey -- ERASE THE CIVIL UNIONS MISTAKE AND PUT MARRIAGE EQUALITY IN IN ITS PLACE!
**UPDATE: Visit CivilUnionsDontWork.com for more on this situation.
***UPDATE, 2/19: Corzine's concerned: Corzine Concerned Civil Unions Don't Bring Equal Rights [WNBC]
Your thoughts
Civil unions provide about 1/3 the benefits of marriage. Marriage is a basic civil right that should be attainable by all Americans. For the truth about gay marriage check out our trailer. Produced to educate & defuse the controversy it has a way of opening closed minds & provides some sanity on the issue: www.OUTTAKEonline.com
Posted by: Charlotte | Feb 18, 2008 10:16:48 AM
I am a legally married gay man in Massachusetts. We have fought long and hard and hoefully we have set some sort of example for other states.
Jos76
www.jos76.wordpress.com
Posted by: Jos76 | Feb 18, 2008 11:43:11 AM
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