OK for same-sex marriages sought in N.J.

The Record of Hackensack ^ | 01.15.03

[Zack Nguyen]

Monday evening, the mood was jubilant inside the grand mansion that houses Morristown Unitarian Fellowship.

Unitarian. Hardly surprising, unfortunately.

[Zack Nguyen]

Not to mention the cultural, moral chaos that will ensure if we teach the next generation that marriage has no meaning.

[Coleus]

What's going to happen when BI-sexuals want to marry? Will they legislate 2 partners (one of each gender) for each bi sexual, one man and one woman? When is this nonsense ever going to stop?

[hunter112]

The divorce rate's already taught them what marriage means to most heterosexuals. I fail to see how monogamous gay people really hurt my marriage. I guess I'm just not burdened down by a 2000 year old fairy tale.

[Zack Nguyen]

Homosexual marriage will deal a blow to our culture from which we will never recover. What is true is true and cannot be changed.

[Zack Nguyen]

The nonsense won't stop soon, I am afraid. This is a clash of religion and morality more than anything else.

[hunter112]

Come up with a non-religious reason how homosexual marriage, or civil unions will do any more damage to our "culture" than the current status quo (homosexuals cannot marry) is already doing. I keep hearing about this damage, but other than offending some people's sensibilities (much the same way interracial marriage did decades ago when it was outlawed), I just can't see it. I will be able to live my life in just the same way if the homosexual couple down the street or next door or across town is either "married" or not.

[Zack Nguyen]

The root cause I have in opposing homosexual marriage is that homosexual behavior is extremely dangerous physically and destructive morally and spiritually, and thus should not be encouraged or deemed normative by our government. If homosexuals can marry they can also adopt children in even larger numbers than before, and the sexual/gender confusion this will bring in young children is a horrible thing.

If marriage is whatever we decide it to be rather than what God has said it is, then we will confuse and bewilder and entire generation on what family is. If we are not sure what family is, then how do we expect them to grow up with a firm psychological or moral foundation?

But if you do not object to any of this, it is entirely possible that homosexual marriage will have no effect at all on your life. I really cannot say.

[Coleus]

Domestic partner bill called in line with McGreevey's concerns

 

TRENTON, N.J. (AP) — A Democrat-sponsored bill that would allow same-sex couples to form domestic partnerships and thereby gain some of the tax and insurance benefits enjoyed by married couples could become law by early next year, according to a spokesman for Gov. James E. McGreevey.

 

The measure introduced by Senate Co-President Richard Codey, an Essex County Democrat, would limit domestic partnerships to heterosexual couples 63 and older who could jeopardize pension benefits by remarrying, and to adult same-sex couples.

 

An earlier measure in the Assembly would have enabled any two unmarried adults living together to gain the benefits of domestic partnerships. The Assembly version drew criticism from McGreevey as too broad and expensive.

 

"Now we're at a point where we're hopeful we can get a domestic partnership benefits bill on the governor's desk during the lame-duck session," McGreevey spokesman Micah Rasmussen told The Sunday Star-Ledger of Newark.

 

"This has been the governor's position for a long time," he said. "The state seems to be supportive of an equitable solution like this one."

 

Advocates for gay rights embraced the prospects of the legislation. But they vowed to continue court fights to form same-sex marriages. In November, a Mercer County judge rejected a lawsuit by same-sex couples, who argued they had a constitutional right to marry.

 

While turning away the suit, Superior Court Judge Linda Feinberg did urge lawmakers to consider legislation for domestic partner benefits.

 

"We're hoping this is going to be a good holiday for a lot of families, and we're going to get some benefits out of it," said Laura Pople, president of the New Jersey Gay and Lesbian Coalition.

 

Under Codey's measure, those who form domestic partnerships would have to be unmarried and living together, and they would have to agree to be responsible for each other's basic living expenses.

 

Private employers would be allowed to charge their employees for extending health benefits to their domestic partners.

 

Domestic partners would gain tax advantages, including the right to inherit property like spouses. Domestic partners also would be considered each others' next of kin for the purposes of making medical decisions and hospital visitation.

 

"It's very difficult when your partner of 30 years is in the hospital and you're not allowed in," said Michael Blake, president of New Jersey's chapter of the gay rights organization Stonewall Democrats.
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