The Hoboken Journal's editor (me) supports a tolerant, open minded and progressive social agenda. Legalizing Gay Marriage while it won't benefit me on a personal level (I like woman but don't plan on marriage unless I am beat over the head with a frying pan), it is one of those issues that I am glad to see has the potential to pass.The reason this issue is important to me is personal. When I was around 12 years old one of my relatives who is lesbian went through a nasty breakup after living 17 years together with another women. My father and I helped her move out her stuff when she finally made the split. What bothered me the most was the fact that she didn't get her fair share of the assets when the two of them called it quits. The majority of shared assets other than the home were in the other partners name (lesson perhaps learned but still). Lack of some formal basis recognizing their partnership on a legal level was a big problem for her and left her no real redress. Since that point I always believed from that point on allowing the option for same-sex couples to have the same legal protections and obligations under the law as opposite sex couples.
Marriage had its origins as a contracual arrangement as far back as Ancient Roman Times. It wasn't until St. Paul and his Christian teachings did marriage becone a sacred bond to those who believe in certain sects of the Christian faith. If that happens to be your religious view then fine, but I can assure you this is not the only viewpoint in this country. The United States by its creation (in order to be free from religious tyranny) and many of its legal constructs is a pluaristic nation. The views of marriage have been evolving over time and have not been static. The only constant has been that of the contractual obligation bewteen its partners.
It is time for New Jersey to make progress and extend the same rights of marriage to all couples regardless of sexual orientation.
Here is an excerpt from a NY Times article that dicusses the events of yesterday at the NJ Senate Panel:
Senate panel in NJ approves gay marriage bill
The battle over same-sex marriage in New Jersey headed toward a legislative showdown Monday night, when a bill that would allow such unions narrowly cleared a key legislative committee and was set for a vote by the full State Senate.The 7-to-6 vote by the Senate Judiciary Committee — which came after years of efforts by gay rights advocates and a day of emotionally charged testimony by dozens of supporters and opponents of the bill — was the first time any legislative body in the state had ever approved a gay marriage bill. The approval brought cheers from hundreds of supporters who crammed the State House committee room. But the measure faces an uphill fight when it is put up for a vote on Thursday before the full Senate, where even supporters concede that they do not yet have the 21 votes needed to pass it. If it does pass, it will go to the Assembly, where passage is considered more likely. Speaking to jubilant supporters after the vote, Steven Goldstein, executive director of Garden State Equality, said that gay rights advocates had a lot of work to do in the next 72 hours, but said that momentum and history were on their side. “The marriage-equality movement in America starts again right here,” Mr. Goldstein said, as the crowd erupted with, “Right here.” But opponents of the bill said they had expected the committee to approve it and were confident that it would be defeated when it reached the Senate floor. (Kocieniewski, New York Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/08/nyregion/08marriage.html ◦
