CONTACTStaffCAREER OPPORTUNITIESADVERTISE WITH USPRIVACY POLICYPRIVACY PREFERENCESTERMS OF USELEGAL NOTICE
© 2024 Pride Publishing Inc.
All Rights reserved
All Rights reserved
By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Private Policy and Terms of Use.
Same-sex marriage opponents launched a petition drive Monday in hopes of persuading lawmakers to amend the state constitution to include a definition of marriage as a union between a man and a woman.
The drive comes a week before New Jersey begins to allow gay couples to legally unite in civil unions.
Legislative leaders have refused to allow lawmakers to vote on a proposal to amend the state constitution to include the traditional definition of marriage. Unlike other states where citizens can gather petitions and get a measure on the ballot, New Jersey has no referendum provision.
John Tomicki, president of the New Jersey Coalition to Preserve and Protect Marriage, said his group will try to get at least 20,000 signatures, hoping to persuade legislative leaders to allow a vote on the proposal.
''Let's have the people decide this issue, once and for all,'' said Assemblyman Michael Doherty, a Republican.
Steven Goldstein, chairman of Garden State Equality, said, ''The founders of the New Jersey constitution recognized that civil rights are a matter of constitutional rights, not popular ones.''
New Jersey lawmakers voted in December to create civil unions, a step in gay rights that only three states have matched or surpassed, after the state supreme court in October forced their hand. The court ruled in favor of extending all the rights of same-sex couples beyond the domestic-partner benefits they now have.
Vermont and Connecticut already have civil union laws. Massachusetts is the only state to allow same-sex marriages.
Meanwhile, a bill that would make Indiana the 27th state to define marriage as the union of one man and one woman easily passed the Republican-controlled Senate on Monday and heads to the Democratic-controlled House.
If the House approves the measure, it would be presented to Indiana voters in 2008. (AP)
Want more breaking equality news & trending entertainment stories?
Check out our NEW 24/7 streaming service: the Advocate Channel!
Download the Advocate Channel App for your mobile phone and your favorite streaming device!
From our Sponsors
Most Popular
Meet all 37 of the queer women in this season's WNBA
April 17 2024 11:24 AM
Here are the 15 gayest travel destinations in the world: report
March 26 2024 9:23 AM
21+ steamy photos of Scotland’s finest gay men in Elska Glasgow
February 01 2024 10:07 PM
More Than 50 of Our Favorite LGBTQ+ Moms
May 12 2024 11:44 AM
Latest Stories
How the 2024 Paris Olympics could become a force to reverse climate change
July 25 2024 6:40 PM
Joe Biden and the lesson of never forgetting where you came from
July 25 2024 4:06 PM
Tom Daley goes down on all fours to test new Olympic beds
July 25 2024 2:58 PM
Kamala Harris make a cameo in RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars 9 finale
July 25 2024 1:59 PM
Watch: Kamala Harris highlights her LGBTQ+ allyship in powerful first campaign ad
July 25 2024 12:31 PM