New Jersey Gay Marriage History At Manplay.com

Manplay.com not only wants to connect you to some sexy Jersey boys, but we want to let you know everything you need to know about New Jersey gay marriage. You might be wondering why this is a big deal considering the Supreme court Ruling in June 2015, but the road to gay marriage has been long and many activists and campaigners have faced some staunch opposition from figures in power and everyday people. However, some careful introspection and some fierce debates in State Government determined that New Jersey should legalize gay marriage back in 2013. This proved to be a turning point for gay marriage shortly before the Supreme Court’s decision. Other states were bureaucratic nightmares for advocates for gay marriage. Massachusetts faced many bureaucratic hurdles. Manplay.com knows how to keep you informed about gay marriage.

A Brief Overview Of New Jersey Gay Marriage

New Jersey has stood up for gay rights ever since they recognized that state sanctioned discrimination of an individual based on their sexual orientation was a human rights violation and laws that enacted such discrimination have been steadily amended to provide for the New Jersey LGBT community. New Jersey has many laws prohibiting discrimination of gay people and these bills have been in effect since 1991 and 2006. New Jersey gay marriage has been legal or legally recognized in New Jersey since 2013. The laws banning same-sex marriage were lifted. The fight to legalize it was a fight that had many, many obstacles. For example, Governor Chris Christie vetoed various bills that were put forth to the Senate and State Legislature. Gay marriage is not simply a question about whether two people of the same sex can be married to each other, it is a case of human rights and equal protection. Many lawsuits regarding legal recognition of gay marriage used the argument that denying or banning gay marriage violated the constitution. More often than not, gay couples in the United States faced problems of eligibility on tax documents, were not federally recognized and could not receive spousal benefits. Simple rights, benefits and obligations outlined in a marriage between a man and a woman could not be afforded to gay couples, even if they were in a civil union. Childcare costs, adoption and rights of guardianship can come into question when a gay couple intends to adopt. More often than gay couples who were in civil unions could not be recognized in other states and would not be protected federally. These are some of the pitfalls that we must consider regarding the topic of same-sex marriage and New Jersey gay marriage was no different.

First Civil Unions For Same-Sex Couples

The road to legalizing New Jersey gay marriage began to gain a foothold in the senate and house legislature in 2003 upon California’s ruling that domestic partnerships are available to gay couples. The state legislature put the Domestic Partnership Act into place, and provided limited benefits. Then in 2005, Lewis v. Harris was a case in which judges ruled in favor of domestic relationships regarding benefits and rights. This ruling ensured that gay couples would receive the same benefits as straight couples. It proved to be a move in the right direction. However, nothing necessarily came to fruition from this decision. Soon after, the legislature began the process of drafting a bill that would allow for civil unions. It would ensure gay couples many of the same rights as straight couples. In late 2006, the New Jersey legislature finally agreed to pass a bill that allowed for civil unions in New Jersey for same-sex couples. This bill would also allow New Jersey to recognize gay civil unions from other parts of the country as well. It was one step closer to gay marriage being legal, but it still violated the constitution. This meant that typical rights, responsibilities and obligations such as hospital visitation rights, beneficiary status, childcare, health insurance and much more would not necessarily be granted to the same extent thats straight couples would receive. In an unfortunate turn of events, many gay couples who had entered in civil unions were not being recognized by their employers when it came to spousal healthcare, insurance and benefits. The New Jersey Bar Association itself claimed that Civil Union law of the state was filled with inconsistencies and it didn’t grant any sort of actual benefits to gay couples. Several corporations and state departments refused to recognize gay couples on simple things such as insurance claims and so on. This proved to be a nightmare for many gay couples throughout the state.

Gay Marriage Bills Are Put Forward

In 2010, a gay marriage bill was put forward, but struck down in the senate. Then, in 2012, another bill campaigning for gay marriage was then vetoed by Governor Chris Christie. In June 2011, a lawsuit on behalf of Garden State Equality who was representing seven gay couples, argued that civil unions did not offer any or all of the benefits and coverage that marriage would provide. Superior Judge Mary Jacobson ruled in favor of Garden State Equality and claimed that New Jersey must allow same sex couples to marry. Governor Christie aimed to appeal the decision, but several judges ruled in favor of Mary Jacobson’s ruling. Chief Justice Stuart Habner said that same-sex couples who cannot marry and are not being treated equally. Governor Christie continued to campaign against gay marriage, but was struck down and finally dropped any attempt to appeal the New Jersey Supreme Court’s decision. On October 21st 2013, the ban on gay marriage was lifted and county clerks began issuing marriage licenses. It was a victory for New Jersey gay marriage.

New Jersey Gay Marriage Statistics

New Jersey has had more support than opposition regarding gay marriage. On average, public opinion is that 60% of New Jersey voters support gay marriage. This shows a progressive state with more liberal attitudes. In 2005, there were approximately 21,000 gay couples in New Jersey. 75% of gay couples are employed while only 66% of straight couples were employed. 21% of gay couples had only one wage earner. 21% of gay couples in New Jersey are raising children under the age of 18. Gay couples also had lower incomes than straight married couples. This piece of data came from 2005, when benefits were not available to gay couples in civil unions. This has likely changed since then.

The Current And Future Status Of New Jersey Gay Marriage

Based on the fact that New Jersey gay marriage has been legal since 2013, we can assume that gay marriage is here to stay. Also, with consideration of the Supreme Court’s ruling, we can surmise that gay couples nationwide will be able to be protected equally and fairly. Until 2015, gay marriage and same-sex civil unions was not recognized in every state. If a gay couple who had been married legally in one state, moved from that state to another state, that did not recognize gay marriage; they would not be able receive the same benefits and protections that would be offered in a state that recognized gay marriage. More often than not, they would not be able to gain a foothold federally. Thankfully this has all changed since the 2015 ruling by the Supreme Court. Gay couples no longer have to face legal discrimination as well as legal eligibility. However, despite the Supreme Court’s ruling, many states have chosen to enact religious protection laws that ensure if someone who aims to discriminate against gay people can, simply because their religious beliefs tell them that they can. This is a frightening future for many gay couples in many states. New Jersey thankfully has not enacted any of these religious protection laws and we might be able to understand this based on the fact that so many in New Jersey support gay marriage. It should be noted that a study by UCLA determined that gay couples will create at $400 million dollars in revenue for the state over a five year period. It’s just another example of how gay marriage makes economic sense.

Some External Links About New Jersey Gay Marriage

Here are some helpful links with gay friendly wedding vendors, information on gay marriage rights in the state, how to attain a marriage license and some links to equality organizations:

1. Some Links to LGBT Friendly Wedding Vendors In New Jersey

2. PurpleUnion.com’s Listing For North Jersey And South Jersey

3. Gay-Friendly Wedding Officiants In New Jersey

4. A Group Advocating For New Jersey LGBT Rights

5. The New Jersey ACLU Homepage