Conservative
groups in New Jersey are pushing a proposal that would grant
the rights of marriage but not the title to gays, siblings,
and others involved in domestic partnerships. The plan
comes in reaction to a landmark state supreme court
ruling last month that said gay couples in New Jersey
should have access to the same rights and benefits as
married couples. Whether to call those rights
marriages, civil unions, or something else was left up
to lawmakers.
Under the conservatives' plan, rights would be
available to gay couples, relatives, and other
twosomes who are not eligible to marry, said Len Deo,
president of the New Jersey Family Policy Council. Unrelated
opposite-sex couples, who can legally marry, would not be
eligible for the designation.
For instance, a brother and sister who live
together would be able to register under what
supporters call an "equal benefits" bill. That way,
one sibling could be covered under the other's
employer-sponsored health insurance, and the survivor would
not be taxed on inheritance if the other died.
Making the law broad would avoid something
distasteful to many conservatives: elevating the
relationships of same-sex couples to the same legal
status enjoyed by married couples. "We're going to
vigorously oppose civil unions if it raises up to marriage
without the m word," said John Tomicki, president of
the New Jersey Coalition to Preserve and Protect
Marriage, a group of clergy, scholars, and
conservative groups.
Steven Goldstein, executive director of the gay
rights group Garden State Equality, said passage of
the measure is a long shot, and if it passed, it would
not satisfy the state supreme court's requirements. "It's a
red herring for antigay vitriol," Goldstein said.
The plan is one in a broad range of options
lawmakers have to consider. Conservative groups also
are backing a constitutional amendment that would
define marriage as being between only a man and a woman.
Some lawmakers, backed by gay civil rights
leaders, are pushing for full marriage rights and
using the word "marriage" for committed same-sex
relationships. Gay rights activists say it's important for
them to be able to call their unions "marriage"
because everyone understands what that term means,
unlike "civil unions."
Key lawmakers in the Democratic majority in the
legislature say they favor letting gay couples
register in civil unions that would offer all the
benefits of marriage but not the title. Assembly speaker
Joseph Roberts Jr. has said action may be taken by the
end of the year.
State senator Gerald Cardinale, one of the most
socially conservative members of the legislature, said
he would support an "equal benefits" law because it
does not discriminate against people who are not gay.
(Geoff Mulvihill, AP)
