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Gays Rally for NJ Marriageby Kilian MelloyTuesday Nov 24, 2009 New Jerseys gay and lesbian families worry that the loss of Gov. Jon Corzine, an equality supporter, may have spooked some state lawmakers who otherwise might push for marriage equality in the Garden State.
With Corzine’s defeat and an election looming in 2010, some lawmakers might be wary to rushing a marriage equality bill through in order to allow Corzine to sign it into law, reported the New York Times on Nov. 23. Corzine has said that he sill sign a marriage equality bill if one reaches his desk before the end of his tenure, but lawmakers may not give him the opportunity to do so. Incoming Republican Gov.-elect Chris Christie has already promised to veto any such bill.
The apparent hesitance of some lawmakers in the post-election session has ignited renewed efforts by family equality advocates, but the session--which began Nov. 23--has so far included no progress on the marriage issue. An Associated Press story from Nov. 24 said that although the New Jersey state government remains predominantly Democratic, and although polls show that a majority of New Jersey residents favor marriage equality, lawmakers feared that economic concerns would dampen voters’ enthusiasm for politicians who pushed for progressive social measures. Newly chosen Senate President-elect Stephen M. Sweeney was cited as saying that given voter unease about the economy, the time is not right to take up the issue.
The article also cited other Democratic legislators as fretting that passing marriage equality would only stir up the state’s conservatives, as well as Democrats who might not be supportive of family parity for gays and lesbians.
But marriage equality proponents have not surrendered. The New York Times article said that although the measure was not voted on when the legislature convened on Nov. 23, it was debated. Moreover, there are indications of Republican support, even as some Democrats seem to be retreating from the issue. With the prospect of bipartisan support for the measure, proponents of marriage equality remain optimistic. The measure’s sponsor, State Sen. Loretta Weinberg, told the Times, "This is an issue of fairness," she said. "It’s not like we’re going to miss out on a chance to fix the economy during the lame-duck session because we’re spending a couple of hours debating this. It is a matter of civil rights."
"Certain members are putting political expediency before public policy," said Democratic Assembly member Reed Gusciora, sponsor of a marriage equality bill in that house of the state’s government. "But this issue is a lot like the Corzine-Christie race: it could go either way."
"In fact, after an initial shellshock that Governor Corzine lost by the
margin he did, we’re seeing legislators come back to the fold on marriage
equality," Steve Goldstein, the chair of pro-GLBT rights organization Garden State Equality, told EDGE. "The last couple of days have seen a trend our way and we’re now right on the cusp of the votes we need to get this done. We’re confident there will be a vote on marriage equality in this session of the legislature and that we will win that vote."
Goldstein also warned that Democratic lawmakers who shied from the issue now might pay a price for it later, telling the Times, ""If the Democrats don’t enact marriage equality now, after years of telling us to wait, wait, wait, it will cause a huge schism between the state Democratic Party and not just the gay community, but the entire progressive base. And it could change the political landscape of New Jersey permanently."
For their part, anti-gay activists have vowed to go after any state lawmaker of either party who supports marriage equality. "It would weaken marriage for everyone" Moshe Bressler, an Orthodox Jew who opposes family parity, told the Times. About 75 anti-marriage activists showed up at the State House on Nov. 23, but the 250 people who were there to show their support for marriage equality outnumbered them.
Marriage equality supporters also announced plans for new radio ads that underscore how civil unions--which are currently offered to same-sex couples in New Jersey--fall short of the protections offered by full-fledged marriage.
Citizen lobbyists have also organized online, with bulletins and re-caps of the goings on at the State House. One such re-cap of the events of Nov. 23 appeared at Web site The Local the following day.
The posting noted that citizen lobbyists already had outlined plans to attend any future Committee Hearings on marriage equality.
Kilian Melloy reviews media, conducts interviews, and writes commentary for EDGEBoston, where he also serves as Assistant Arts Editor.
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