NJ-ACLU Joins Gay Marriage Lawsuit

The New Jersey chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union has joined a lawsuit filed by gay rights groups claiming the state government hasn't complied with the 2006 New Jersey Supreme Court ruling that granting lesser rights to gay couples in civil unions was unconstitutional. The ACLU has issued an amicus brief on the subject, arguing that "When courts discover that their original remedial schemes for achieving equality through parallel structures have not achieved the intended results, they have ordered that the system of separate rights or privileges be discarded." They also argue that exclusion from rights is not a justifiable public interest.

Legal Director Ed Barocas believes the inequality affects how couples are treated in hospitals and how children of those families are treated in school, saying, "Civil unions institute inequality in ways both mundane and profound. Our state must end the daily struggle it imposes on our fellow citizens by having denied them the right to marry." New Jersey failed to pass legislation to legalize gay marriage earlier this year, even after the state's Civil Union Review Commission found that civil unions didn't provide couples with the equality the state Supreme Court said they should have.

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By Jaya Saxena in News on May 4, 2010 3:26 PM

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glen glenn

Christie only cares about gays that make over $250,000 a year.

ribaldry

SPHINCTER PIRATES UNITE

S.K.

Think homophobia is dangerous? Try being an ex-gay.

shadow_man

Violence against a minority group

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Violence_against_LGBT_people

Gays are being beaten, shot at, sent to the hospital, killed. In the Middle East, they are killing gays among other groups out of hatred. Is this what we want America to become? Do we want America to revert back to the 1960's when groups were killed and segregated against for simply no good reason? Do we want to follow the ways of the Middle East and Al Queda? Let's push forward, it's time to end bigotry, discrimination, hate, and ignorance. This is modern America, not the Dark Ages.

http://www.fbi.gov/hq/cid/civilrights/hate.htm

shadow_man

This was taken from another poster that shows why we need to legalize gay marriage. If you don't feel for this person after reading it, you simply aren't human.

"I am not sure what our President thinks of this dicission but coming from a poor family and knowing what discrimination is all about I would assume he would not care if "Gays" have equal rights. The whole reason why they are asking for rights to be considered married is from the same reason why I would be for it. My own life partner commited suicide in our home with a gun to his heart. After a 28 year union I was deprived to even go his funeral. We had two plots next to each other. But because we did not have a marriage cirtificate "(Legal Document)" of our union his mother had him cremated and his ashes taken back to Missouri where we came from. That is only one example how painful it is. His suicide tramatized me so much and her disregard for my feelings only added to my heartach. That happened on March 21 of 2007 and I still cannot type this without crying for the trauma I have to endure each day. Oh did I mention I am in an electric wheelchair for life? Yes I am and it is very diffacult to find another mate when you are 58 and in a wheelchair. "

shadow_man

The National Library of Medicine pubs confirm that sexual orientation is natural, biologically induced in the first trimester of pregnancy, morally neutral, immutable, neither contagious nor learned, bearing no relation to an individuals ability to form deep and lasting relationships, to parent children, to work or to contribute to society.

From the American Psychological Association: homosexuality is normal; homosexual relationships are normal.

The American Academy of Pediatrics, American Psychological Asociation and American Psychiatric Asociation have endorsed civil marriage for same-sex couples because marriage strengthens mental and physical health and longevity of couples, and provides greater legal and financial security for children, parents and seniors.

America's premier child/mental health associations endorse marriage equality.