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Daily newspapers in north and central NJ call for marriage equality - plus a quick action item

by: Rosi Efthim

Fri Apr 24, 2009 at 10:25:43 AM EDT

Here's an action that only takes a minute. Central NJ: Go out and buy the Courier News today. Clip this editorial. Write a respectful note. Then send it to your Senator. I live in Hunterdon. I don't think mine, Marcia Karrow, is approachable on this. So I'm going to send to Somerset's Sen. Christopher "Kip" Bateman: 36 East Main St., Somerville, NJ 08876.

The Courier News, part of the Gannett chain of daily newspapers, takes the position today that the state's delays in crafting a workable solution to the need for equal rights in marriage have actually allowed for enough time to pass that New Jerseyans are increasingly comfortable with marriage equality. That's a development that independent polling has reflected, too.

Courier News, today:

New Jersey officials have for years taken the safe and sensible approach to addressing the gay-marriage question by, in effect, not addressing it at all.
The state has acknowledged the need for fairer treatment of same-sex couples. Lawmakers have taken several steps to increase the legal rights of gay couples, beginning with domestic partnerships legislation and progressing to the acknowledgment of civil unions that provide nearly all of the same rights as marriage.
And through it all, they've managed to duck answering the most emotional and controversial core of the issue - whether or not to grant same-sex couples full marriage status [snip]

[snip]The state Legislature is expected to consider a legalization bill later this year.
That's the point at which New Jersey should take the plunge and do the right thing. The state's patience - or perhaps reluctance - before taking this final step has allowed public understanding and acceptance to develop and grow.[snip]

And the windup:

But in the end, legalization should be inevitable. The marriage terminology and the sexuality and sensitivity of the topic shouldn't divert lawmakers' attention from the root issue, which is a basic question of equal rights. Gay couples deserve those equal rights. And that includes full marriage recognition.

A few days ago, the Bergen Record, - taking note of marriage equality decisions in Iowa and Vermont - came to a similar conclusion. Their emphasis is on the separate and unequal status for gay couples that civil unions have left us with. Jump for their argument.

Rosi Efthim :: Daily newspapers in north and central NJ call for marriage equality - plus a quick action item

Bergen Record, April 13:

Same-sex couples in this state already have civil unions, which are legally equivalent to marriage in every way except in what they are called. But since those civil unions have actually resulted in discrimination against same-sex couples by creating a separate and unequal status, it is time to call these unions what they are in fact: marriage.

The Record also speaks up for the children in gay-parent families:

It's not just a question of equality and civil rights. It's also a question of family values. New Jersey permits gays and lesbians to become foster parents and to adopt children. Many lesbians are biological mothers. Therefore, it should be in the state's interest to protect children being raised in gay and lesbian households by providing their parents access to a legal and stable relationship.
If that relationship is marriage, and it is in New Jersey in everything but name only, then it's time to proudly call it by its true name.

The impact that these newspapers can have is enormous. Newspapers reflect the common sensibilities of the communities they cover. And sometimes they help advance what's right, simply by recognizing it, and doing so in print.

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Daily newspapers in north and central NJ call for marriage equality - plus a quick action item | 6 comments

Great suggestions, Rosi! (4.00 / 1)

As are Creed Pogue's - if it is in your power to do so, make a appointment to meet with your state assemblypersons and senator even if they support Marriage Equality (because they like attaboys as much as anyone does) and especially if they are thought to be on the fence or known to be in active opposition.

And Garden State Equality has requested the following:

URGENT AND PLEASE FORWARD THIS EMAIL NOW TO ALL YOUR FRIENDS: Starting Thursday morning, April 23, and continuing Friday, April 24, 2009, we ask each of you, no matter where in New Jersey you live, to call the 3 legislators listed below to tell their offices: "Today, Quinnipiac came out with a poll showing New Jersey favors marriage equality. The Senator needs to support the bill strongly. If New Jersey is for it and it's the correct thing to do, what's the problem?" It can be in your own words, but make sure you mention it's a Quinnipiac Poll (pronounced Quinn-uh-PEE-ack), a highly respected independent poll. You may hear, "you're not in the Senator's district" or "the bill won't come up until later this year, so why are you calling now?" Please stick with it. We recently had a legislator ask us, has there been an independent poll in your favor?

Senate President Dick Codey at (973) 731-6770

Senate Majority Leader Steve Sweeney at (856) 251-9801

Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Paul Sarlo at (201) 804-8118

If you're told by the office you're not a constituent: "I'm calling your office because the Senator holds a leadership position that impacts the entire state."

If you hear anything substantive in your conversations - something beyond "thank you" or "we'll record your views" - let us know by emailing us at Contact@GardenStateEquality.org. Include which legislative office you spoke with, what the office said, as well as your own name and hometown.

Your activism makes all the difference in the world to tell our side of the story.

On behalf of the entire Garden State Equality Board and staff, please accept our deepest gratitude. And please forward this email to all the people you know so they call too.

Steven

by: denniscmcgrath @ Fri Apr 24, 2009 at 15:02:47 PM UTC

by: you @ soon

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in truth (0.00 / 0)

they should be calling Sarlo and the members of the Judiciary Committee if they live in their districts.

Legislators don't usually respond to calls from people who can't vote against them.

by: Creed Pogue @ Fri Apr 24, 2009 at 16:38:00 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Call them all anyway (4.00 / 2)

Here's the list of the judiciary committee people and their districts. I'd call them all regardless of what they 'usually respond to.'

NJ Senate Judiciary Committee
Sarlo, Paul A. - D-36th district Chair (201) 804-8118
Girgenti, John A. - D-35 Vice-Chair (973) 427-1229
Baroni, Bill R-14 (609) 631-9988
Beck, Jennifer R-12 (732) 933-1591
Cardinale, Gerald R-39 (201) 567-2324
Gill, Nia H. D-34 (973) 509-0388
Kyrillos, Joseph M. R-13 (732) 671-3206
Lesniak, Raymond J. D-20 (908) 624-0880
Scutari, Nicholas P. D-22 (908) 587-0404
Smith, Bob D-17 (732) 752-0770
Stack, Brian P. D-33 (201) 558-7926
Weinberg, Loretta D-37 (201) 928-0100

NJ Assembly Judiciary Committee
Greenstein, Linda R. - D-14 Chair (609) 395-9911
Barnes, Peter J. - D-18 Vice-Chair (732) 548-1406
Casagrande, Caroline R-12 (732) 866-1695
Gusciora, Reed D-15 (609) 292-0500
Handlin, Amy H. R-13 (732) 787-1170
Spencer, L. Grace D-29 (973) 624-1730

by: denniscmcgrath @ Fri Apr 24, 2009 at 17:04:01 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Call Them All Is What... (0.00 / 0)

...we progressives should be doing. Yes, even the supporters.

By doing that it bolsters/reinforces supporters to become even more active and confident, adds positive push to fence sitters and lets opponents know that there may be a price to pay down the line.

With enough momentum this becomes inevitable, and maybe this is the year to do it given the possibility of a parallel push in NY state.

The whole progressive agenda is linked in terms of the inner world/morality and values that underlie these positions. It really is all connected folks.

by: Nick Lento @ Fri Apr 24, 2009 at 17:50:28 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

The March of Progress Continues! (0.00 / 0)

At the core, this is a human rights issue.....these newspaper editors are getting on the right side of history. Momentum is building.

by: Nick Lento @ Fri Apr 24, 2009 at 15:23:49 PM UTC

by: you @ soon

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Many lesbians are biological mothers. (0.00 / 0)

So sayeth the Bergen Record.

And it's worth remembering too that many gay men are biological fathers; in fact, many gay men and women are not just biologically but legally parents, either
because they fathered or mothered children within or without a legal opposite-sex civil union, or as part of a same sex couple.

I personally know two NJ men who are both listed as birth parents on their two children's birth certificates. (FYI, the children were born via a surrogate mother (donor egg) with sperm from one of the two men, and they were the first same-sex couple in the jurisdiction where the birth took place to be listed as the birth parents).

The denial of full marriage equality doesn't just hurt the adults; the children of these families also exist in a legal limbo when it comes to medical emergencies, school issues and so forth.

by: denniscmcgrath @ Fri Apr 24, 2009 at 16:18:38 PM UTC

by: you @ soon

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Daily newspapers in north and central NJ call for marriage equality - plus a quick action item | 6 comments