Garden State Equality is using a decision in the California court system that came minutes ago as a jumping off point to ramp up activity and create waves to impact the NJ legislature, even as two dates loom which could change everything for gay couples in love in this state. The full Senate will consider NJ's marriage equality bill Feb. 13. The full Assembly follows 3 days later. Both come after companion bills were passed out of both houses' Judiciary committees over the last few days, following 10 hours of often-emotional testimony. Chris Christie, his sights set on his national GOP street cred at least as much as his responsibility to do the right thing in this pro-equality state, has signaled his intention to veto. Unknown if there are enough votes to overturn that veto, and some of those votes may still be in flux.
Less than an hour ago, a 3-judge panel from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, serving California, ruled that state's Proposition 8, banning marriage equality, is a violation of the United States Constitution. The case is widely seen as destined to be decided in the United States Supreme Court.
In a message sent wide to GSE's NJ supporters, founder Steven Goldstein wrote this:
Blue Jersey frontpager, NJ godmother of the Democratic wing of the Democratic Party, Senate Majority leader, and a woman who gives Chris Christie the willies, Loretta Weinberg has a birthday today. She's 77.
LW's taking the day off from her usual Monday morning post, so instead this sweet video she made with her very sensible grandchildren, Shayna and Jonah. Here for "my adopted son Steven Goldstein" and Garden State Equality she talks with them about the day, hopefully soon, when people can marry "who they love and feel comfortable with" and the gay people in their lives who want to get married.
Birthday girl, with the beloved Shayna & Jonah:
(Disclosure: I have the honor of serving on GSE's board)
Statement from Hetty Rosenstein, New Jersey State Director of the Communications Workers of America:
Our progressive union has long been on the leading edge of civil rights fights. We marched alongside Martin Luther King in the fight for voting rights. We stood up for the Equal Rights Amendment. We were on the front lines for disability rights. We have negotiated domestic partnership and civil union rights in our contracts.
Marriage Equality is a Civil Rights issue, just as the right to organize and have a union is a civil rights issue.
For too long, New Jersey has denied one of the most basic rights -- the right to marry the person you love -- to hundreds of thousands of its citizens. To maintain the status quo, or allow the basic rights of a minority to be put at risk in a referendum, would mean continuing this fundamental injustice indefinitely.
While our members come from many diverse backgrounds, we are united in our belief that all loving and committed New Jersey residents should be free to marry the person they love.
We call on Trenton to enact marriage equality as quickly as possible. We can't wait.
In case you missed (I did), here is an unsmiling, and deadly serious NJ Speaker Sheila Oliver discussing Gov. Chris Christie's ignorant remark about the civil rights movement, made this week.
btw - New Jersey was the last state in the union to abolish slavery. Did you know that? It's part of the history lesson Oliver, Rush Holt, Reed Gusciora, Loretta Weinberg, John Wisniewski, Gordon Johnson, Rep. John Lewis and others have been required to review this week for the benefit of a governor who let a bit too much of his own prejudices show, as he attempted to make his stand against a rising tide of Equality in marriage going on in the New Jersey Legislature.
Surely by now you've heard that Senator Bob Menendez has signed on to co-sponsor the (LGBT-friendly) Respect for Marriage Act.
Good deal.
Now I don't have an official whip count, but based on lists I've seen, Congressman Bill Pascrell is the only Democrat in the New Jersey delegation to not sign on to this bill. Last I checked, fighting anti-gay discrimination is a part of the Democratic party platform, so surely the Congressman will be on board soon.
So WTF, Pascrell? Don't you want to come to my gay wedding?
Note: Since I wrote this diary, reports have surfaced that Viki Knox indeed brought her views into the classroom on several occasions, likely violating the district policies and state law in the process. Worse, she violated a student's First Amendment rights by kicking the student out of class for wearing a rainbow bracelet.
Viki Knox's illegal conduct in the classroom raises substantial doubts about her fitness as a teacher. She ought to be fired. At the very least, she should be suspended for a prolonged period of time and must not set foot in another classroom until she understands that she needs to set her personal views aside and follow the laws of New Jersey, the policies of her school district, and the instructions of her superiors.
October, as many Blue Jersey readers know, is LGBT history month. To commemorate the occassion, Union Township High School set up a photo display featuring several famous gay and lesbian celebrities and historical figures.
Yet, this evening, Garden State Equality has organized dozens to protest a meeting of the Union Public School District Board of Education. GSE is not satisfied with school's affirming message to gay and lesbian students. It wants the district to fire a schoolteacher who responded to the display with homophobic Facebook posts of the sort that one would expect from, say, the Westboro Baptist Church.
Make no mistake, Union Township High School special education teacher Viki Knox's comments were reprehensible; Ms. Knox calls homosexuality a "perverted spirit" and compares it to cancer and alcoholism. But there are at least two problems with Garden State Equality's impulsive response to these posts. First, in its hasty reaction to the teacher's posts, the organization stubbornly refuses to acknowledge the competing values at stake. Second, GSE is doing a disservice to gay and lesbian students at Union Townshsip High School and across the state by passing up more effective responses to this controversy.
The First Amendment gives Viki Knox the right to express her opinions, asinine and offensive as they may be. As I will show below the fold, whether the school district may fire or otherwise discipline her is a close question that will probably turn on facts to be uncovered by investigation.
Congratulations on your wedding. I wish New Jersey would recognize in your vows what the two of you have committed to each other. - promoted by Rosi
Yesterday, I married my partner of 24 years. We had a small, intimate wedding in the judge's chamber in a court house located in downtown New York City. It was a bright, sunny and warm day-a perfect day for a wedding. My partner and I were so excited that this day had finally come-the day that we had dreamed of for a long time and never thought would become a reality. Tears of joy filled our faces as the judge announced that we are a legally married couple. I hugged my husband and kissed him, as our friends applauded and congratulated us.
Alex & Sean got married yesterday. As close to home as they could make it, and still be legal. They said their vows on a beautiful boat sailing around New York City. Cruising close to New Jersey, both grooms and many of the guests climbed up topside and gave New Jersey the finger. (Photo courtesy Jeff Tureaud, candidshotphoto.com)
Don't get the wrong idea. Alex & Sean love New Jersey. So do I. So do their guests, especially the ones who live here, as Alex & Sean do. But they're disappointed in their state where their commitment to each other is recognized only as a thing apart, not quite what it is.
At Blue Jersey, we mostly report about marriage equality, not so much actual weddings. But I was lucky enough to be invited to this wedding, and both the grooms are members of the Blue Jersey community. So for me, ME will forever be about Alex and Sean, who have loved each other for 13 years, and waited most of this time for the law to catch up to their own jubilant love.
I love weddings. And this one was spectacular. Vows topside on a yacht, under sunny skies the color of the water. Both grooms escorted by family to cheers from all of us as they came upstairs into the sunlight. Marriage vows warm and personal. Guests gay and straight. On the guest list, a same-sex couple just married in New York this week, at our table another getting hitched on Thursday. Even a proposal on board. "A rainbow tsunami of love," one guest called it.
When Garden State Equality lobbied state senators in the runup to their crushing 2010 No vote part of the case made was economic.
A few years ago, the Williams Institute at UCLA projected $248 million in spending in NJ if we gained marriage equality before surrounding states. Our friend Jack Bohrer did a great job illustrating how that might impact tourism in destination Atlantic City, still struggling with revenue loss and hotel layoffs. At this point, with NY and destination NYC getting the jump on us, we can only guess at the money flowing across the Hudson from family-minded Jersey couples. And those across the country spending their money there, instead of here. With our failure to come in early, we can only guess at the revenue sacrificed.
But something even bigger is lost. Yesterday, the proprietors of this lovely boat were so excited by their inaugural same-sex wedding, that all the servers were outfitted in different rainbow colors. Spirits were high; it meant something to be there.
There is so much goodwill for Love. And that's what skittish legislators have missed, the goodwill good people have for happy families and loving couples. Even beyond the loss of wedding revenue, we lose living in a culture of greater acceptance of each other, in celebration of the happiness of our neighbors, in the infectious joy of people pledging forever to the one they love for the world to see.
So, here's to the day New Jersey's decision-makers catch up to her people. Here's to the day we strengthen marriage itself by recognizing all our families. Here's to the day when this most extraordinary day in a couple's life can take place on our turf, or in our waters.
Here's to Love. And here's to Alex & Sean. Married October 2, 2011, in New York City.
Disclosure: Yes, I'm on GSE's board. And Blue Jersey's all in for Love. Any questions?
This is the It Gets Better home video made by 14-year-old Jamey Rodemeyer, posted just 4 months before he, apparently, took his own life outside his house this weekend.
Seems to me this kid had so much in his favor. Supportive parents. Wisdom to hook into the It Gets Better movement created by Dan Savage so older people could help pull young people through with a better picture of what their grown-up lives could be, if they can just slog through adolescence. In Jamey's own It Gets Better video, he said he regretted creating a Formspring, a Q & A social media site that permits anonymous comments. Jamey's account sounds like a battleground; hateful anonymous posts about his being gay, alongside signed posts from friends encouraging him not to listen to "the cowards" abusing him. Friends reported his abuse to counselors at his middle school. He was seeing a social worker, a therapist. He was even hip enough to be blogging about bullying, reminding people a couple weeks ago about Suicide Prevention Week. But he's gone anyway.
This all happened in New York, not here.
But here in New Jersey, when school started days ago, the Anti-Bullying Bill of Rights Act became a reality for schools all over the state. To be sure, schools are grappling with unfamiliar procedures, and regulations are still being honed. But hateful threats that gay people go to Hell goes on and on and on. Know what I did the night the NJ Senate voted down marriage equality? I was on my way to a Garden State Equality reception. But I got stopped by a young man with his best friend, a girl, who'd poured out volunteer labor for GSE. I apologized that we couldn't do better for him. He told me he'd just called his mother to tell her the vote, looking for sympathy. His mother replied that he was unnatural and going to Hell.
Jamey's suicide was New York, not here. But NY is New Jersey's beacon right now, the equality state right next door. And one of the reasons ME is important is that it tells young gay kids in a way nothing else does that there's a future for their fragile, new love lives. We lose kids for so damned many reasons - poverty, illness, malnutrition, violence. And we lose kids because they can't imagine a future they can fit in.
In one of his last acts, Jamey thanked Lady Gaga for her music's message of self-acceptance. In March, Gaga stood on a stage in Buffalo near where Jamey lived, and asked her audience to call state senator Mark Grisanti and tell him to reverse his opposition to marriage equality. They did. And a facebook campaign followed. Grisanti did in fact flip, and was one of the key votes that got ME passed in New York. And Grisanti was Jamey's local state senator, a Republican. That's something we can't even get Democrats in New Jersey to do. So far.
I didn't really write this for you guys. This readership gets it. I wrote this for your neighbors, the guy in the cubicle next to you, the kid that delivers your Sunday paper. It never hurts to be on the lookout for simple acts of meanness that may be some teenager's last.
RIP, kid.
Disclosure: I'm on the board at Garden State Equality, but I'd write this anyway.
Warm congratulations and a Blue Jersey Woo Hoo! to Babs Casbar Siperstein, who broke ground again just a few minutes ago by her election to the DNC's Executive Committee. That vote came at the DNC Fall Meeting in Chicago. Babs, the first out transgender person in the DNC's history now rises to help lead the national Democrats, joining its top-most leadership committee.
There are now two New Jerseyans on the DNC Exec. Committee. Babs joins Tonio Burgos in that work. Babs sent us a jubilant email a few minutes ago. But we're looking forward to hearing more of this story when she gets back from Chicago.
(@Jay_Lass: I am hearing very positive preliminary results from the DNC election. This is good news for Babs, pending confirmation by Babs herself. - promoted by Jay Lassiter)
Until 2 years ago, the DNC had never had a member - there are more than 400 across the country - who is a transgender person. In 2009, Babs Casbar Siperstein (yes, Siperstein like the paint company) from Edison, New Jersey & a member of the Blue Jersey community, became the first. Tomorrow, if she wins a party election at the DNC Fall Meeting in Chicago, she will become the first out transgender person ever on the DNC's Executive Committee.
Babs, who has been a Democratic contributor for about 10 years, didn't always feel as accepted in Party circles as she's beginning to now. About the national Dems of past years, she says:
All they knew about 'trans' was baby drag queens. They didn't know. So they needed to be educated. It's 100% better now. Rather than confront or turn people off I tried to engage in a positive way.
If you're getting married, here's where not to buy your wedding dress: Here Comes the Bride in Somers Point, New Jersey.
Alix Genter went there to buy the frilly thing she intends to wear when she marries her long-time love in New York, which is the closest place she can.
She chose her dress, and was waiting to hear back from Here Comes the Bride about her fabric choice. But that's not the call she got, several days later. The shop's manager called to tell her she wouldn't be selling her a dress, because she didn't want to be associated with an "illegal action".
Alix Genter - her fiancée is publicity shy - has the love of family and friends, 200 of whom will be celebrating the couple at a reception in Blue Bell. Genter's Mom and Dad, aunt and cousin, and two friends were with her to help choose the dress. Her mom made muffins, a neighbor contributed champagne. Big day.
But then, she got a call from the shop manager, who noticed that Alix Genter had crossed out Groom and written in Partner with her fiancée's name.
And that's where we are, New Jersey. I hope the manager at Here Comes the Bride uses this occasion as a learning moment. Meanwhile, maybe shop somewhere else.
Over the weekend, AP (via The Record) had an interesting article about 2010 census figures showing a 3-% rise over the past decade in NJ households headed by same-sex partners. Many are couples raising kids.
John and Michael Galluccio are the folks behind my currently favorite tee shirt in all of Jerseyland - WTFNJ? (a chunk of the profits fund Garden State Equality). That name sound familiar? The Galluccios won a landmark 1997 court case to become the first gay couple in NJ to jointly adopt a child - Adam, now 15.
Michael Galluccio's on his local school board. Nearly 25% of North Jersey households headed by male couples and almost a third headed by lesbian couples have related kids. Gay couples come in all flavors the same way straight couples do, but once you look up and find gay-headed families in the 'burbs, place of worship, school board, and in every job, and town in New Jersey, you get how the NJ Senate blew it big-time representing Jersey on this issue.
Disclosure: I'm on the GSE board (it's big). I'd be writing this, even if I wasn't. GSE ranked 83 NJ munis by how many GSE members (who are both gay & straight) each has. Whoa, my little town of Flemington (pop. 4500) has more GSE members than Hawthorne (pop. 18,000)? Bite me, Jeff Gardner, is my little town in crimson red Hunterdon gay-friendlier than yours?
Jennifer Beck voted against gay marriage in 2009 claiming that's what her constituents wanted. She swore she'd stand firm on this issue. (Even though as an Assemblywoman in the same 12th District she supported the 2nd class Civil Unions law on behalf of the same constituents).
She claimed she'd never back down.
But that was before Long Branch, Ocean Grove, Asbury Park and other LGBT friendly towns became part of her district.
Now all of sudden Senator Beck is ready to support the very legislation she opposed. Her flip-flop on marriage equality is an insult to the LGBT community.
Are we now expected to believe that these are her true convictions? Or was she voting with her conscience when she voted the first two times around? At that point, Governor Corzine would have signed marriage equality into law. Christie has vowed to veto any such measure.
Beck threw us under the bus when she voted against equality when she thought that that would advance her political career with a Governor-elect Christie.
I'm pulling this up top again for a 2nd look, partly because it was originally posted in the middle of the night when traffic is low. That said, there are 21 comments already, good discussion. - Rosi
We now have 21 (plus) guaranteed votes for marriage equality in New Jersey. Senators Jen Beck and Steve Sweeney have indicated their changing from prior abstentions or "no" votes to "yes"votes. There's probably one or two more not yet counted. Should we move ahead with legislation (again) if we are not sure of 27 to override a Christie veto? I'm ready to start along with my colleague, Ray Lesniak. Are you up for the battle to make it to 27? Tell us what you think.
One look at 12th district Senator Jen Beck and it's perfectly obvious why she's got "Gay Man's BFF" written all over her.
She's fabulous, gorgeous and has a big long pony tail that I secretly want to French braid. She's also a bit of a diva. Basically what we gays affectionately call a "fag hag." Straight out of central casting. For better or worse, she just gives off that vibe.
But here's the deal, she's not a true friend to NJ's LGBT community as proved by her NO vote on Marriage Equality. To make it worse, as a member of the Judiciary Committee Sen. Beck shares a rather unfortunate distinction of being one of only 4 NJ Senators to vote against marriage equality TWICE. For those of y'all keeping score, YES it does make it twice as bad.
Frankly i was surprised and hurt when she voted NO (for reasons described in paragraph 1) but in retrospect it makes sense: Governor Chris Christie was on the lookout for a LtGovernor at the time and Beck was widely considered to be on the shortlist. Voting for Gay rights was not gonna score any points with Christie who's admittedly "not a fan" of equal marriage rights for gays and lesbians.
So it was newsy when Jane Roh reported Senator Beck's evolving position on equality. In her own words:
"There are lots of reasons why I ultimately voted no. My position has evolved. I spent a lot of time on this issue, and at the end of the day, I would support it if it came before me."
Naturally we welcome her change of heart. Change is good.
VOTE TALLY UPDATE 4:36pm:Senator Weinberg's bill is passed 26-13 to restore state funding. Just before the vote, she remarked on the fact that almost every woman spoke in favor of it, "and some good men", and that perhaps these women "know something".
UPDATE: Listen LIVE to discussion about the bill to restore state funding to women's health care - sorry, the feed is not embeddable.
UPDATE2: Doherty, speaking from the Senate floor, just apologized to Sen. Weinberg for accusing her of lying. Says he was "exuberant" at the Right to Life rally and should have said Weinberg was "misleading". I'm not hearing an apology for "Nazi" and "apartheid".
Here is part of what Senator Michael Doherty said today, speaking at a Right to Life rally on the State House steps:
Nobody has any problem trying to have no affiliation with nefarious organizations such as the Nazis or apartheid regimes," said Doherty. "But somehow, we're asked to use our tax dollars to support these type of organizations.
I'd like to say the LD-23 senator has gone 'round the bend. But, horrifying as this is, this is consistent with Doherty's level. This is a guy who fears that kids on school trips to the state house might be freaked out by trans people in the washroom, and who - like Christie - denies global climate change.
Doherty also used today's occasion to pile on (again, like Christie) Loretta Weinberg, accusing Weinberg of lying about access to critical health services if $7.45M state funding for women's health services/family planning is not restored to the NJ budget.
Both Christie and Doherty have been saying women can be steered to hospital ERs and to FQHC's, Federally Qualified Health Centers. But hospital ERs are simply not set up for non-emergent cases clogging their waiting rooms. And 2 weeks ago, Katherine Grant-Davis, president & CEO of NJ Primary Care Association - they represent the FQHCs - said they couldn't keep up with the 124% increase in patient load that they've already had since 2002, and Christie's cuts are already adding to the burden.
The New Jersey Senate votes today on a bill to restore that $7.45M state funding back into New Jersey's budget. Like Star-Ledger said, in an editorial posting today, strongly backing the fight to restore that state funding, Weinberg has the facts on her side. But I suppose that doesn't matter as much to Doherty, who only has to appeal to the right-wing and Christian money that fuels his political engines up in the sticks of Warren and Hunterdon counties.
Last Friday, May 13, 2011 at its annual Conference in Atlantic City, the NJ Democratic State Committee, after a month of public scrutiny and comment, approved the delegate selection plan for the 2012 Democratic National Convention in Charlotte, NC. As a member of the DNC's LGBT Caucus, I take particular note that the non discrimination policy specifically is inclusive on the basis of sexual orientation as well as gender identity/expression. (inclusive LGBT) conforming to DNC By-laws and Charter.
The "goal", approved for LGBT delegates, is 8% which translates as of now to 13 delegates plus an appropriate number of alternates and committee members (rules, credentials and platform). Please understand that this is a goal, and not a quota, but provides a wonderful opportunity to be part of the process and be involved in the Democratic Party and help it work for us, equality Americans. Also please note that if NJ moves its primary back to June, it is anticipated that NJ will be awarded more delegates and the numbers will rise. more below...
Background: Henry Velandia and Josh Vandiver were married in Connecticut and now live in New Jersey. Vandiver has filed a petition seeking a marriage-based green card for Henry, who is originally from Venezuela. However, current U.S. law, which permits citizens to sponsor their opposite-sex spouses, does not afford same-sex couples that same right.
So, Henry faces deportation - essentially for being gay.
But, following an 11th-hour signal from Attorney General Eric Holder late yesterday, there was cause for hope going into today's rally and deportation hearing. Specifically, and in furtherance of the Obama Administration's shift against the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), Holder vacated a Board of Immigration Appeals decision in another case involving a same-sex couple.
Today, a boisterous crowd gathered outside the Federal Building in Newark, to send a message that it's time to start treating same-sex couples as equals, and to end the discrimination against same-sex couples like Josh and Henry. And, shortly thereafter, the Immigration Judge in Newark "agreed to adjourn the case" til December of this year.
Happy ending?: So Henry gets to stay. For now. It's great personal news for this one couple. But, the idea that a lawfully married couple is still forced to endure the agony of wondering whether, and for how long, they will be allowed to remain together is hideous.
It's situations like this that I'm reminded of when people throw phrases around like "one-issue candidate" or "big picture" or "moderate republican." The continued discrimination against same-sex couples in America should no longer be acceptable. It's not okay. Case closed.
