N.J. conservatives plotting moves if gay marriage is allowed

Star Ledger ^ | 08.13.06 | GEOFF MULVIHILL

[Coleus]

(AP) — As they await a New Jersey Supreme Court decision on gay marriage in the Garden State, social conservatives say they are prepared to take the fight to the ballot box if they lose in the legal arena.

"If we get to an imminent threat, if we get to the point where marriage is going to be decided by the court, shouldn't we get to weigh in an issue of such magnitude?" said Len Deo, president of the New Jersey Family Policy Council.

Like advocates for gay marriage, New Jersey's conservative lobbyists and lawmakers are gearing up for a political battle in the aftermath of the court's ruling in the landmark case of Lewis v. Harris, in which seven gay couples contend not letting them marry is a violation of the state constitution. A decision could come any time and is expected by Oct. 25, the day before Chief Justice Deborah T. Poritz turns 70 and is required to retire. New Jersey is one of only five states without a specific ban on gay marriage. But municipal clerks in the state cannot grant marriage licenses to same-sex couples because the state Attorney General's Office has said that same-sex marriage is not lawful. The plaintiffs in the lawsuit say they should be able to get marriage licenses.

Whichever side loses in court will be at a disadvantage when they turn to the political arena to plead their case: The losers will try to persuade lawmakers to act. The winning side simply can ask the Legislature to do nothing. Several of the state's most prominent politicians, including Gov. Jon Corzine, have said while they do not favor gay marriage, they oppose amending the constitution to ban it.

[Coleus]

NJ conservatives ask state's Catholics to oppose marriage equality - help present another voice  

The Associated Press has reported that anti-LGBTI activists in New Jersey have now begun to focus on the state's Catholic population as a prime constituency for a campaign to oppose marriage equality. Many Catholic supporters of LGBTI rights who read the article have contacted Garden State Equality, and they'd like us to start a new GSE Caucus, Catholics for Marriage Equality.  Consider it done.  All we need to do is hear a great idea and we'll make it happen.

 

So if you are Catholic  -- whether you are straight or a member of the LGBTI community -- and would like to be part of this Caucus and Garden State Equality's efforts to make certain that New Jersey hears pro-marriage-equality voices from the Catholic community, please e-mail me, Steven Goldstein, at Goldstein@GardenStateEquality.org.  Put simply "Catholics for Marriage Equality" in the subject line of your e-mail, and in the body of your e-mail include your name, phone numbers and city or town.   This Caucus will be impressive.  Catholic voters are among the state and nation's strongest SUPPORTERS of marriage equality.  In the 2006 Zogby-Garden State Equality statewide poll of New Jersey, 60 percent of New Jersey Catholic voters favor marriage equality while only 35 percent of New Jersey Catholic voters oppose it.  Those are actually stronger numbers than the state's overall marriage-equality numbers, themselves terrific.  56 percent of all New Jersey voters favor marriage equality and only 39 percent oppose it.  

 

And look at these even more amazing numbers:  72 percent of New Jersey Catholic voters oppose a state constitutional ban on marriage equality while only 24 percent of New Jersey Catholic voters favor it.

This wonderful political story -- the strong support for marriage equality among Catholic voters -- has not been told often enough.  That stops here and now in New Jersey.  Garden State Equality is asking you, if you are a Catholic supporter of marriage equality, to join our Catholics for Marriage Equality Caucus.  This will be just one step of Garden State Equality's immediate ramping-up of our outreach to Catholic voters.  We saw the news report about the right-wing's outreach and we're not wasting a minute.  We at Garden State Equality believe passionately in the power of rapid response.

 

Again:  If you'd like to join our Catholics for Marriage Equality Caucus, please e-mail me, Steven Goldstein at Goldstein@GardenStateEquality.org.  Put simply "Catholics for Marriage Equality" in the subject line of your e-mail, and in the body of your e-mail include your name, phone numbers and city or town. 

 

Thanks so much.

 

Best,

Steven Goldstein

Chair, Garden State Equality

Cell (917) 449-8918

[Coleus]

CONGREGATION FOR THE DOCTRINE OF THE FAITH CONSIDERATIONS REGARDING PROPOSALS TO GIVE LEGAL RECOGNITION TO UNIONS BETWEEN HOMOSEXUAL PERSONS

Chastity and homosexuality

2357 Homosexuality refers to relations between men or between women who experience an exclusive or predominant sexual attraction toward persons of the same sex. It has taken a great variety of forms through the centuries and in different cultures. Its psychological genesis remains largely unexplained. Basing itself on Sacred Scripture, which presents homosexual acts as acts of grave depravity,¹⁴¹ tradition has always declared that "homosexual acts are intrinsically disordered."¹⁴² They are contrary to the natural law. They close the sexual act to the gift of life. They do not proceed from a genuine affective and sexual complementarity. Under no circumstances can they be approved.

2358 The number of men and women who have deep-seated homosexual tendencies is not negligible. This inclination, which is objectively disordered, constitutes for most of them a trial. They must be accepted with respect, compassion, and sensitivity. Every sign of unjust discrimination in their regard should be avoided. These persons are called to fulfill God's will in their lives and, if they are Christians, to unite to the sacrifice of the Lord's Cross the difficulties they may encounter from their condition.

2359 Homosexual persons are called to chastity. By the virtues of self-mastery that teach them inner freedom, at times by the support of disinterested friendship, by prayer and sacramental grace, they can and should gradually and resolutely approach Christian perfection.

[Jeff Chandler]

According to the headline they are "PLOTTING"! How nefarious.

[linear]

You beat me to it.

Democrats "plan". Conservatives "plot".

Democrats "win". Conservatives "seize control."

[L98Fiero]

You beat ME to it. Well said.

[cvq3842]

Yup.

[nmh]

Any news on TAX RELIEF?

[Bogtrotter52]

Not much chance.....it's NJ for Godssake. Pretty blue. Probably just have to write NJ off as a lost cause. Please do not flame I was born and raised there in Bergen County. But just for the first 18 years of my life. Spending the next 30+ years in Alaska changed my views AND my accent. LOL

[weegee]

As they await a New Jersey Supreme Court decision on gay marriage in the Garden State, social conservatives say they are prepared to take the fight to the ballot box if they lose in the legal arena.

WRONG WRONG WRONG.

It would be taking matters of LEGISLATION to the public in an arena where they have say vs. letting the JUDICIAL branch establish new law.

[samm1148]

What move is that; registering the queers at a local store? Sorry this stuff has been going on for all of this time. Us tinfoil hat guys were jumping up and down; writing congresscritters and letters to the editors and were told we were nuts. Well the day us nuts predicted is at hand.

The whole damn camel is in the tent now and suddenly it is an issue. Yeah that is because of all the volvo driving faux conservatives whose children are going to be confronted with this horror, suddenly they want something done.

Sorry, this stuff sets me off. Where was everybody ten years ago? Oh I forgot; they were off bashing Christian conservatives.

[JerseyHighlander]

Tax relief? One way tickets out of Newark airport are quiet reasonably price.

I've heard rumors that the NJ Conservatives are still plotting to overturn the NJ assault weapons ban. They're building momentum, they had a dinner/fundraiser sometime in 2005, and are planning 2 more fundraisers in 2007. :P

[clueless123]

Thank you for posting some sanity.

[R.W.Ratikal]

Forget it. Spend all of that ime and energy on the immigration invasion, kicking the UN out of the US or how to return to constitutional rule of law.

[clueless123]

Where the hell are you boy?

Get your smart#@% stuff off this blog and keep it off.

I totally and 100% disagree with what you are doing.

[Akeirook]

I wouldn't be surprised if we lost at the ballot box too. I've seen polls showing this is one of like 3 states in the country where the majority of the voters are actually ok with sodomite marriage. Among the 18-24's it's like 75%. Pretty sickening. New Jersey's culture is degrading rather quickly.

[Coleus]

Any news on TAX RELIEF? >>>

don't hold your breath, remember we have about 570 municipalities, almost 620 school districts, plus commissions and authorities which have the authority to higher staff and sell bonds many times without voter approval, layer-upon-layer of bureaucracy, law enforcement and school systems, with a state that has 20% of the workforce on the public payroll.

[mware]

I was born and raised there in Bergen County. But just for the first 18 years of my life. Spending the next 30+ years in Alaska changed my views AND my accent. LOL

Whatdoya mean, accent?????

[mware]

Hey at least we got rid of the AG

[SuziQ]

They should not wait. They should get something going to get on the ballot as soon as possible!