Civil Unions are Not Equal to Marriage

by Michael Jones · 2008-12-10 06:54:00 UTC
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New JerseyThe New Jersey Civil Union Review Commission today called on the state to enact same-sex marriage, after finding that NJ's current civil union system does not result in equal treatment under law of gay couples.

This is huge news.  Governor Jon Corzine has indicated he would support gay marriage if legislation allowing it were to reach his desk.  This is also just excellent reinforcement for today's "Day Without a Gay," the protest being held to stand up for marriage equality, where LGBT folks and their allies are being asked to call off of work and volunteer for equal rights.

Here's what I'm most pleased with though - this is yet another official body that says civil unions are not equal to marriage.  Let me repeat, because I know there a lot of commenters on this blog who think otherwise: Civil Unions are Not Equal to Marriage.

Here's some language from the NJ Civil Unions Review Commission:

After eighteen public meetings, 26 hours of oral testimony and hundreds of pages of written submission from more than 150 witnesses, this Commission finds that the separate categorization established by the Civil Union Act invites and encourages unequal treatment of same-sex couples and their children

[Same-sex marriage should be enacted] expeditiously because any delay in marriage equality will harm all the people of New Jersey.

Want to read the full report from the NJ Civil Unions Review Commission?  Click here.

Michael Jones is a Change.org Editor. He has worked in the field of human rights communications for a decade, most recently for Harvard Law School.
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