Quinn and Barse will stop performing marriages

to avoid gay weddings

The Daily Journal (serving Vineland, Millville and

greater Cumberland County),

From the Web, January 22, 2007

The mayors of both Millville and Vineland said Monday they will no longer perform marriages of any kind in an effort to avoid the marriage of gay and lesbian couples.

The mayors released a joint statement Monday explaining their positions, so "that both unfortunate misinformation and deliberate distortions of the facts can be eliminated from the public discourse."

The mayors said their decision stems from religious beliefs.

"Our refusal to perform these ceremonies is based on each of our individual beliefs, i.e., that marriage is intended to be a union between a man and a woman.  At the same time, we recognize alternative lifestyles in our communities, we value the many contributions of those citizens to the community and we give every respect to their civil rights and privileges the same as for all citizens," according to the mayors' statement.

According to the state attorney general, mayors refusing to marry same-sex couples while continuing traditional marriages would be guilty of civil rights violations.

"We want to emphasize we are not practicing discrimination, nor in any way acting outside the laws of our state," according to the mayors' statement.

"Rather, in order to comply with our legal responsibilities as public officials while remaining true to personal religious beliefs, we shall no longer perform marriage or similar ceremonies for anyone.

"The law empowers any number of public officials to perform these ceremonies and in fact, several officials have already gone on record with their willingness to do so.

"We are pleased that these other alternatives exist, eliminating any hardship for any interested parties," the mayors said in their joint statement.