Panel Says New Jersey Should Allow Gay Marriage

The New Jersey Civil Union Review Commission has released a 79 page report which concludes that New Jersey should follow two other U.S. states and allow same-sex couples to marry rather than just enter into civil unions, as the law currently permits. As Reuters is reporting, the Civil Union Review Commission said same-sex couples cannot achieve equality with heterosexual couples if their legal status is restricted to civil unions. Full marriage is the only way to meet a state constitutional requirement for equality, said the 13-member panel of public officials, clergy, lawyers and same-sex marriage advocates. Here are some highlights from Reuters:

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The panel was picked by the governor, other state officials and state agencies and charged with evaluating New Jersey's civil union law and making a recommendation. Its recommendation was unanimous. "The Commission finds that the separate categorization established by the Civil Union Act invites and encourages unequal treatment of same-sex couples and their children," the panel said in a 79-page report based on an 18-month investigation. Citing "overwhelming evidence," it said "civil unions will not be recognized by the general public as the equivalent of marriage in New Jersey."

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Gov. Jon Corzine said the issue should be resolved "sooner rather than later" because civil unions appear to have fostered inequality by creating a separate class of relationships. "I encourage the legislature to seriously review the commission's report and ... I will sign marriage equality legislation when it reaches my desk," he said in a statement.

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Not surprisingly, the folks at Focus on the Family and similar Christianist hate organizations are hyperventilating and on the verge of wetting themselves. No doubt they will be releasing additional blustering statements and it is important to remember that despite the language they use, their goal is to stigmatize LGBT citizens and keep us unequal. "Protecting marriage" is merely the rhetoric and language they use to dupe the ignorant and/or bigoted into supporting their cause and of course sending in their all important money contributions. As for the report, here are a few key findings:

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We, the thirteen members of the New Jersey Civil Union Review Commission, unanimously issue this final report, containing a set of recommendations to the Governor and the Legislature of the State of New Jersey. After eighteen public meetings, 26 hours of oral testimony and hundreds of pages of written submission from more than 150 witnesses, this Commission finds that the separate categorization established by the Civil Union Act invites and encourages unequal treatment of same-sex couples and their children. In a number of cases, the negative effect of the Civil Union Act on the physical and mental health of same-sex couples and their children is striking, largely because a number of employers and hospitals do not recognize the rights and benefits of marriage for civil union couples.

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As a result of the overwhelming evidence presented to the Commission, we unanimously recommend that:

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The Legislature and Governor amend the law to allow same-sex couples to marry;

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The law be enacted expeditiously because any delay in marriage equality will harm all the people of New Jersey; and

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The Domestic Partnership Act should not be repealed, because it provides important protections to committed partners age 62 and older.