Corzine enacts civil
unions
By JOHN P. McALPIN,
NorthJersey.com from the Web, December 22, 2006
New Jersey gays celebrated Thursday
as Governor Corzine signed a landmark civil union law that guarantees homosexual
couples the same rights as their married counterparts.
Dozens of same-sex couples, their families and supporters gathered at Trenton's
War Memorial for a moment they hailed as historic. Men and women hugged,
cried and then cheered as a beaming Corzine thrust the paperwork triumphantly
into the air after signing the law.
"When you do the right thing, you can be proud of yourself and this is one of
those moments," said Corzine, who called the civil union law one of the most
satisfying accomplishments of his career.
"Marriage equality is the next step," said Laura Pople, president of the New
Jersey Gay and Lesbian Coalition. "I take that as an invitation for all of
our community to continue the inexorable march we've been on for 30 years.
State Sen. Loretta Weinberg, D-Teaneck, predicted gays' push for full marriage
rights would pay off within a few years.
"The legal rights for same-sex couples will be known as they should be, under
the banner of marriage," said Weinberg, who has been one of the Legislature's
leading advocates for homosexual rights.
New Jersey's first, and so far only, openly gay legislator said the new law is a
big step closer to that goal: "The distance between civil unions and
nothing is greater than the distance between civil unions and marriage," said
Assemblyman Reed Gusciora, D-Mercer.
Thursday's bill signing -- a 90-minute ceremony that easily stands as the
longest of its kind in recent years -- was the third event this week the Corzine
administration used to showcase its support for controversial social issues.
On Wednesday, Corzine signed a bill that pledges $270 million to build a stem
cell institute where researchers will seek medical cures using human embryonic
tissue seen as sacred by some religious groups. The day before, the
first-year governor legalized needle exchanges for drug addicts, which
proponents say will cut down on blood-borne diseases like HIV and AIDS.
Conservative critics saw no reason to celebrate, and vowed to redouble their
efforts for a referendum outlawing gay marriage.
"Continuing on the third day of darkness in New Jersey, Governor Corzine is
signing legislation that is uprooting the cardinal values of our culture," said
John Tomicki, president of the non-profit New Jersey Coalition to Preserve and
Protect Marriage. "We believe the people should decide the definition of
marriage with a constitutional amendment, and we urge the Legislature to move
swiftly on the matter and not hold that legislation hostage."
Couples will be able to register for civil unions beginning Feb. 19.
People now licensed to perform marriages in the state will be able to perform
civil union ceremonies.
Attorney General Stuart Rabner ruled Thursday that mayors who refuse to perform
civil union ceremonies would violate state discrimination laws. Mayors and
other officials may refuse to perform both marriages and civil unions, he said,
but cannot selectively choose to perform one and not the other.
In October, the state Supreme Court ruled that same-sex couples deserve the same
rights as married couples. The court told lawmakers to create the new law
but did not require the Legislature to call the unions "marriages"
Legislators have thus far been unable to agree on a bill with that sensitive
language. A recent Quinnipiac University poll said that 60 percent of New
Jersey voters support allowing same-sex couples to form civil unions. But
they oppose same-sex marriage by 50 percent to 44 percent.
The civil union law establishes a panel that will review the procedure.
Many expect that it will eventually recommend that marriage be offered.
Corzine has also stopped short of fully endorsing marriage for same sex couples.
The governor, in a session with reporters, said he would sign a bill granting
marriage if it passed the Legislature, but said he personally believes that
defining marriage is a personal religious issue.
The new law gives same-sex couples the right to adopt children together, inherit
each other's property and visit a partner in the hospital. Other rights
include the ability to make medical decisions and protections against testifying
against each other in legal proceedings.
Same-sex couples, however, are limited only to rights in New Jersey.
Federal law recognizes marriages as only those between a man and a woman.
Partners in a civil union here will not receive each others Social Security
payments or any other federal benefit.
E-mail:
mcalpin@northjersey.com
(Abridged)
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