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TASK FORCE FOR SAME-SEX MARRIAGE
P.O. Box 11406, New Brunswick NJ 08906-1406
Website: http://www.gaypasg.org
E-Mail: email@gaypasg.org
732 744-1370
MINUTES: Meeting March 26, 1998
John C. Campbell & Richard Harrison
email@gaypasg.org
A meeting of the Task Force was held at the residence of Messrs. Campbell and Harrison
at 7:30PM, with the following present:
Ed Martone, Exec. Dir., ACLU-NJ
Messrs. John C. Campbell and Richard J. Harrison, GayPASG
Charlie Lanigan, GAAMC and GayPASG Coordinator, Union Co.
Eric McKinley
Anne Voltz
Paulette Bellew
Joe Fanning
2. A.2193 and S.1376:
We were fortunate that these two anti-same-sex marriage bills were
not brought to the floor for a vote at the end of the last legislative session.. We felt
confident
they would have passed overwhelmingly if they had been posted.
3. Visits to Senate, With Senator DiFrancesco's staff
Assembly, With Speaker Jack Collins and his staff Committee, Senior Issues & Community
Service with Melvin Cottrell, Chair and his assistant.
Since the last meeting, members of the Task Force and constituents of the officials joined
Ed Martone, Bear Atwood (President NOW-NJ), and John C. Campbell in meetings with
these three offices. The story was the same in all three meetings, they would not support
Same-Sex Marriage if it comes to a vote but they are not anxious for the issue to be
considered.
The issue, in the form of Assembly Bill No. 706, has been introduced again by
Assemblywoman
Marion Crecco. At the time of our meetings, it had not been reintroduced in the Senate.
A copy of A.706 is attached to these minutes for your convenience.
ACTION: It was felt we should keep up the campaign of letting the
concerned politicians know that we are still here and that we oppose any legislation that
will deny us our basic rights. We will direct messages to the Governor, President of the
Senate, Speaker of the House, Committee Chair Melvin Cottrell, other members of the
committee, and to Assemblywoman Marion Crecco. Meetings will be arranged with members of
the committee.
4. NJ Supreme Court refuses to hear Rutgers 5 Case:
A state appeals court ruled in March '97 that NJ did not have to -- but should -- provide
Domestic Partner Benefits to the spouses of five gay Rutgers University faculty members.
The NJ Supreme Court has refused to hear the case so that ends that case. The gay
community was asked not to press the issue of DP Benefits while that case was being
processed and the Same-Sex Marriage case in Hawaii put DP Benefits on the back burner. The
issue of DP Benefits is being discussed again because of the uncertainty of the marriage
issue with ACLU and LAMBDA working on proposed legislation for DP Benefits if marriage
efforts fail. The question of a Task Force for Domestic Partner Benefits was raised at
this meeting and it was the general consensus that if the timing were right, we would
consider serving as a Task Force for Domestic Partner Benefits but remain active working
for Same-Sex Marriage.
5. Support for the Same-Sex Marriage Task Force:
The effort to obtain letters of support from organizations was stressed.
Requesting a letter requires that the group's mission and dedication to ending
discrimination based on sexual orientation be considered and spelled out. Copies of
GayPASG's statement were distributed and are attached. Also provide were forms for
obtaining personal statements of support with permission to publish the individuals name.
Please identify the person's profession and or organization positions.
ACTION: Contact everyone you know and the organizations in your area and
obtain as many endorsements as possible. Review supporter's list for volunteers to work
with the Task Force.
6. COMING EVENTS FOR SSM TF PARTICIPATION:
We agreed to have a presence for the SSM Task Force at the following events:
Spring Street Fair, Sunday, May 17th, Douglas Student Center, Douglas College, Rutgers
University, New Brunswick.
NJ's 7th Annual Pride Celebration, Sunday, June 7th in Asbury Park.
7. NEXT MEETING:
The next meeting for the Same-Sex Marriage Task Force is scheduled for 7:PM, April 30 1998
at 473 Plainfield Road, Edison, 732 744-1370.
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