New Jersey became the third US state to permit civil unions for same-sex couples at midnight on Monday, and while LGBT civil rights activists called the new law a step in the right direction, they are vowing to continue the fight for marriage. Despite the Presidents Day holiday, some county clerks offices will be open today for couples to get licenses. Offices in Asbury Park and Lambertville, which have large gay communities, opened at midnight. After couples apply for civil union licenses they must wait 72-hours before they can have a ceremony - just like with marriages. New Jersey will recognise civil unions from Connecticut and Vermont, the two other states that have civil unions. But couples legally married in Massachusetts - the only state where marriage is legal - or any of the five countries that permit same-sex marriage will have those marriages recognised in New Jersey only as civil unions. Last October the New Jersey Supreme Court ruled same-sex couples must have all the rights of marriage. The Court gave the New Jersey State Legislature 180 days to act on the decision to grant same-sex couples the rights and benefits enjoyed by different-sex married couples but left it up to the legislators to decide whether to call it marriage or civil unions. The legislature opted for civil unions. But, that say civil rights groups, amounts to separate but equal. There are an estimated 20,000 same-sex couples living in New Jersey. How many of them will have civil unions is unknown. While the law gives couples all of the rights of marriage many couples have said they intend to hold out until they can wed. Other couples, however, say the law is a good short term solution to the legal problems often incurred by gay and lesbian couples. They suggest a civil union now and converting that to marriage later. Ref: 365gay.com (m)
Credit: GayNZ.com News Staff
First published: Tuesday, 20th February 2007 - 12:00pm