New Jersey

In October 2006, the NJ Supreme Court issued a unanimous ruling recognizing the equal needs and common humanity of committed same-sex couples and their kids. The Court said these American families are entitled to equal rights and responsibilities under the law. The legislature was instructed to codify this decision. Unfortunately, New Jersey's legislature failed to provide equality when they quickly passed a civil unions bill which took effect in January 2007.

Along with passing the civil union bill, the legislature set up a Civil Union Review Commission to study the implementation of civil unions and whether or not they fulfill the court's ruling. The commission has found ample evidence that civil unions are separate and unequal to marriage, and indeed are failing New Jersey families.The New Jersey legislature failed to change the law in 2009, even after acknowledging that civil unions were not providing the protections required by the Supreme Court of their state. Lambda Legal and Garden State Equality are now going back to court to seek equality.

Status: Civil Union

Groups Actively Working on Marriage

Garden State Equality: the central statewide organization working for lesbian, gay,bisexual, transgender and intersex civil rights in New Jersey


 

Blog Posts Related to New Jersey

Families remind us what marriage is all about at New Jersey “Summer for Marriage” tour event

Freedom to Marry’s Online Organizer Cameron Tolle was on hand yesterday at Garden State Equality’s town hall in Trenton, New Jersey

New Jersey legislators admit that civil unions do not work

Coinciding with the New Jersey leg of the “Summer for Marriage” tour, video released showing top officials such as Senator Gerald Cardinale detailing the failures of civil unions legislation

Culhane: Should we hate civil unions, or love them?

John Culhane on civil unions: "...[they] may well have been – and may, in some states, even continue to be – politically necessary compromises, way stations of a sort on the route to full marriage equality. But we should continue to point out that there’s plenty in a name."

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Resources Related to New Jersey

New Jersey Census Snapshot

Demographic and economic information about same-sex couples and same-sex couples raising children in New Jersey.

First Interim Report of the New Jersey Civil Union Review Commission

The New Jersey Civil Union Review Commission published a report which determined New Jersey's civil union law "is not clear to the general public" and "creates a second-class status" for those who have filed for civil unions, among many other challenges that prove the law does not accomplish what it was intended to do--provide protections and benefits of marriage to same-sex couples and their families.

Geographic Trends Among Same-Sex Couples in the U.S. Census and the American Community Survey

Groundbreaking research showing a huge increase in same-sex couples identifying themselves as "unmarried partners".

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