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Asbury Park
Press
No meeting on Ocean
Grove's ban
on same-sex unions
State, association
won't reschedule
BY BILL BOWMAN,
app.com from the Web, June 14, 2007
Asbury Park, NJ -- A meeting
set for this week among the state Public Advocate, the state Division of Civil
Rights and the Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association to discuss the association's
refusal to sanction same-sex civil unions in its pavilion did not happen.
And, as far the association is concerned, no future meeting is necessary.
Representatives were supposed to have met Tuesday to discuss the association's
refusal to sanction same-sex civil union ceremonies in its boardwalk pavilion.
Ocean Grove is a Methodist enclave within Neptune, with all land owned by the
association.
Nancy Parello, spokeswoman for Public Advocate Ronald Chen, said the department
received an e-mail last week from the association canceling the meeting.
"There are no plans to reschedule" the meeting, she said. "We've discussed
the matter with the civil rights division. At this point, the Public
Advocate doesn't have plans for any other action."
Scott Hoffman, the association's chief administrative officer, said his group is
in no hurry to meet with anyone.
Hoffman said the association was approached by Chen's office shortly after the
story about the controversy first appeared in the Asbury Park Press and was
asked to attend the Tuesday meeting.
He said that about a week ago, after a period in which they heard nothing more
about the meeting, someone from the association called the public advocate's
office to inquire about its agenda.
"They said, "What agenda? You guys called the meeting,' " Hoffman said.
"We said we didn't call the meeting, you did. We both agreed that if
neither of us had an agenda, there was no reason to meet."
Hoffman said the association "has no reason not to meet, but we also don't have
any reason to meet."
That stands in contrast to what Hoffman said last month. He said it was
the association's view that "the most prudent course of action is to go directly
to him (Chen) and see what his findings are and what he recommends."
The issue was sparked by the association's refusal to sanction same-sex civil
unions in the boardwalk pavilion. The association maintains that the
pavilion is a religious building — much like the Tabernacle or Youth Temple —
and that the Methodist Church's Book of Discipline forbids the use of religious
structures for same-sex unions or marriage ceremonies.
Opponents say that because the pavilion is on the boardwalk, it is a public
accommodation and therefore should be open to same-sex civil unions.
Chen has said that the pavilion does not have any of the traditional trappings
of a church and, since it is located on the boardwalk and open to everyone,
appears to be a public accommodation. He also said the association should
revisit its policy.
Bill Bowman: (732) 643-4212 or
bbowman@app.com
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