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Jin Corzine, New Jersey Governer, signed legislation legalizing civil unions between same-sex couples in New Jersey.
The measure comes as a response to the October directive from the New Jersey Supreme Court that commanded that equal rights be given to heterosexuals, gays and lesbians.
The Court left the issue of whether to allow same-sex couples to marry or enter civil unions up to Legislature.
The measure was approved on Dec. 14, and will amend New Jersey’s laws on marriage by including civil unions in all sections, including those governing divorce, power of attorney, custody, inheritance, and pre-nuptial agreements.
“Many gay and lesbian couples in New Jersey are in committed relationships and deserve the same benefits and rights as every other family in the state,” said Corzine before the bill-signing ceremony on the 21st. “I believe very fundamentally in equal protection under the law and this legislation is about meeting that basic responsibility.”
With the signing of the bill, New Jersey becomes the third state to honor civil unions for same-sex couples, behind Connecticut and Vermont. The only state that allows gay marriage is Massachusetts.
The legislation will also create a commission to study over the course of three years whether the state should allow same-sex marriages.
Opposition
The new law faces opposition from more than one side.
Some gay people said the legislation did not provide equal rights because it still uses the term “civil union” instead of calling it a marriage.
"It's a step forward, but it's not true equality," Veronica Hoff, 52, of Mount Laurel said.
Some social conservatives are also taking issue with the new legislation. They think that it makes gay relationships too similar to marriages. “It’s same-sex marriage without the title,” said president of the New Jersey Coalition to Preserve and Protect Marriage. “It uproots the cardinal values of our culture.”
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