700 + show up for Marriage Equality in Trenton today

by: Rosi Efthim

Thu Dec 03, 2009 at 01:30:45 PM EST

This is what a muscle flex looks like.

More than 700 people showed up in Trenton today, ready to lobby their legislators and stand behind the change in New Jersey's marriage laws that will allow committed gay and lesbian couples in love to marry like the rest of us.

This is right on the heels of a letter to the legislature and signed by more than 200 of New Jersey's most influential people reminded those who make our laws in New Jersey that we will stand behind those who vote for equality. Boom.

Consider this an Open Thread. Are you there? Will you be there next week, to keep the pressure up as the vote's taken in committee (Monday) and Senate (Thursday)? If you cannot take a work day to lobby, will you stand behind NJ students who have organized their own rally on Saturday?

Steven Goldstein, breathless and jubiliant at both the turnout and the sea of marriage equality supporters in deep blue EQUALITY t-shirts, walked into the statehouse today, arm-in-arm with Marsha Shapiro and Louise Walpin, a long-time committed couple whose care for their seriously ill child was made more difficult because the civil union the state created to protect them as a couple, did not protect them well enough as a family. Behind them, flowed through the heavy doors of our statehouse gay and straight, young and old, experienced political organizers along with people who never lobbied for anything in their lives.

We have a timeline now. Sen. Ray Lesniak confirmed that the full Senate will vote Thursday, Dec. 10 - one week from today - on marriage equality. Lesniak:

On Monday in the Judiciary Committee, we're going to vote on marriage equality," Lesniak (D-Union) said, while making the announcement to a crowd of more than 650 gay marriagesupporters on the Statehouse steps today.

- snip -

And God be willing, we will have 21 votes.

As Senate President Dick Codey confirmed this morning, the Senate Judiciary Committee will consider marriage equality legislation this coming Monday. The legislation must be approved in committee before being sent to the Senate floor for a vote. Take that as a victory, considering that Sen. Paul Sarlo said just days ago that he wasn't even going to bring up ME in the Judiciary Committee unless there were enough votes to pass it in the full Senate.

Here are some pix from South Jersey's Matt Zinader - the rest are after the fold. Thanks Matt!

Great mix of young and older in this, in front of the statehouse