08/16/2007
Poll: New Jersey May Be Ready for Gay Marriage Upgrade
A survey meant to mark the six month anniversary of New Jersey's civil union law has revealed that voters in that state would most likely have no problem with the legislature upgrading the state's civil unions to "marriage" status:
"The poll, released Wednesday, showed 63 percent of voters surveyed said they would not be upset if the Legislature upgraded civil unions to marriage equality, compared with 31 percent who would be upset. And some 72 percent said lawmakers would not jeopardize their re-election bids by enacting marriage equality, compared with 21 percent who felt such a vote could effect an incumbent's chances of remaining in the Legislature. Regardless of their personal beliefs, those polled believe New Jersey will allow gay couples to marry within a couple of years, by a margin of 61 percent to 29 percent."
Zogby polled 803 New Jersey voters.
Said Steven Goldstein, chairman of Garden State Equality, the group that commissioned the poll: "Regardless of whether any public official supports marriage equality or wants to maintain the state's failed civil unions law, no official in New Jersey can credibly say that marriage for gay couples is a divisive issue in the state. Even voters who oppose marriage equality are ready to accept an upgrade of the state's civil unions law to real marriage equality."
In other New Jersey news, the Ocean Township school district, which I told you last week had banned a production of The Laramie Project for being too provocative, has reinstated the production. The school district superintendent Thomas Pagano overturned the decision by principal Julia Davidow to stop the play from proceeding.
Poll: New Jerseyans favor gay marriage [newsday]
Recently
NJ Principal Deems Laramie Project Too Provocative [tr]
Judge Urges McGreeveys to Settle Alimony-Fueled Divorce Battle [tr]
UPS Decides to Deliver Civil Union Benefits to NJ Same-sex Couples [tr]
Posted 8:45 AM EST by Andy in Gay Marriage, New Jersey, News | Permalink
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Silly wabbits!! A man and a man can't get married!
Posted by: Stephen | Aug 16, 2007 8:57:02 AM
Uh oh Stephen, the inevitable turning of the tide has commenced.
But don't fret, you'll probably be able to count on Mississippi and Idaho sharing your views on TRUE Christianity for a few more years.
Posted by: Zeke | Aug 16, 2007 9:00:12 AM
"who felt such a vote could effect an incumbent's chances . . ."
Eek--the pervasive "effect" and "affect" confusion.
Posted by: Grammarian | Aug 16, 2007 10:03:03 AM
Zeke, why are you only able to make comments that put down others. You don't seem to agree with anything. You always sound like a cranky old man. Not every Christian is against gay marriage, just like every Muslim or every Jewish person. Why do find the need to put down every person of religion to get your point across. Stop the name calling you sound like one of them.
Posted by: Star | Aug 16, 2007 10:05:37 AM
"Zeke, why are you only able to make comments that put down others. You don't seem to agree with anything. You always sound like a cranky old man. Not every Christian is against gay marriage, just like every Muslim or every Jewish person. Why do find the need to put down every person of religion to get your point across. Stop the name calling you sound like one of them."
Did you miss the part where the Evangelical Christians are trying to turn the US into a Theocracy? The Evangelicals are most definitely opposed to anything remotely resembling gay rights. They deserve our rebukes.
Posted by: Iko | Aug 16, 2007 10:29:07 AM
Iko, you sound like the republicans with their scare tactics.
Posted by: Rufus | Aug 16, 2007 10:42:31 AM
Star, what name calling would you be referring to?
Stephen is the ONLY person at Towleroad that I express anger with and he is the only person that I am less than polite to. That is ONLY after he repeatedly demeaned my 16 year relationship with my husband and REPEATEDLY called MY SON unnatural and illegitimate. And you accuse ME of “putting down others” and being “cranky” while defending HIM? Are you basing your opinion on a snap shot of our disagreement or are you fully informed of the history between me and Stephen? Are you fully aware of what Stephen has said here at Towleroad?
Stephen has EARNED my disrespect by disrespecting me, and more importantly, my family.
As for Christians being for marriage equality and accusing me of claiming that there is no such thing, you just gave away your ignorance of who I am and what I stand for. EVERYONE here, except apparently you, knows that I am a Christian and proudly defend my faith here regularly. The man that you defend told me last week, in one of his comments, that I am not a “TRUE Christian” and my denomination (UCC) is not a TRUE Christian church because I/we don’t believe that homosexuality is a sin or an abomination. But it’s ME who puts people down and is a cranky old man?
Wow! You are a person of AMAZING insight.
Posted by: Zeke | Aug 16, 2007 10:59:29 AM
Very well put, Zeke. I commend you.
Being that my partner and I will be getting civil unioned in NJ on September 5th, I wonder if NJ changes its laws, our union will retroactively become a true marriage.
For me personally, I see marriage as a religious institution I do not need. I do understand that Unions are still not getting the full rights they are supposed to just because they are not "marriage". Therefore I would like to see gay marriage legalized to take that loophole away from bigots.
I live in Houston so it just sucks I have to go to NJ to get a legal union of any kind.
Posted by: gryphoncub | Aug 16, 2007 11:11:25 AM
Kudos to Ocean Township School District Superintendent Thomas Pagano for reinstating The Laramie Project.
Posted by: Fred | Aug 16, 2007 11:45:13 AM
surprise, surprise! stephen reared his ugly head on this one.
what a maroon. what an embezzle.
Posted by: nic | Aug 16, 2007 12:53:55 PM
Zeke, Zeke...use your noggin, buddy. Can't you see that STEPHEN and STAR are A) the same person posting under different names or B) two different people sent from the same organization (hint: Focus on the Family)? Of course STAR is going to accuse you, the victim, of being the attacker. Of course STAR is going to present lies as fact. That's what these people do, Zeke! They lie and manipulate in an attempt to stop those who don't believe exactly what they believe. And then they claim their Christian beliefs are being attacked. The saddest part of all is how they've latched onto one passage in the Bible, a passage that wasn't even the word of Christ, and used it to totally pervert the message of love taught by Jesus Christ.
But I digress.
The real message here, Zeke, is that the presence of trolls like STEPHEN and STAR is proof that right-wing, fundamentalist Christians are losing their bid to control our government. It is an indication of their desperation that they send their flunkies (like STEPHEN and STAR) to queer blogs in order to post homophobic messages cloaked as Christian caring. Pathetic. And sad. At this point, they are nothing more than objects of pity.
Posted by: peterparker | Aug 16, 2007 1:22:51 PM
I am sooooo smiting Stephen and Star.
As soon as Jersey passes Marriage Equality I am gonna ask Zeke to be one of our GroomsMaids.
Posted by: Crixi Van Cheek | Aug 16, 2007 2:09:05 PM
I would be honored Crixi my friend; as long as my GroomsMaid's dress isn't too outrageous!
I just can't stand the thought of having to wear ANOTHER one of those god awful, poofy, eighties, "I Wanna Dance With Somebody", Whitney Houston, psychedelic GroomsMaid's dresses! That just goes above and beyond the call of duty. :)
Posted by: Zeke | Aug 16, 2007 2:48:49 PM
So I find myself agreeing with Peterparker...and that doesn't happen often! However, Stephen/Star, Star/Stephen, either way is/are fools. Having said that, Zeke, you are the man!
Regardless of what they say, he/they obviously are tools for some organization! If not, they have either far too much free time or are well beyond curious and refuse to allow themselves to by what they are; gay.
If they attack those that are gay, it makes them fell better about themselves and that in and of itself is pathetic and not worthy of your time. And NO Peterparker, that does not automatically make them republican:)
Zeke my friend, you are not wrong, you do not attack & name call, and NO, you owe no respect to Stephen. Take care my friend!
Posted by: RB | Aug 16, 2007 10:34:12 PM
RB,
I see you've come to your senses and begun to agree with me ;-).
By next year I'll have you voting for Barack or Hillary.
xo,
peterparker
Posted by: peterparker | Aug 16, 2007 11:01:19 PM
Don't count on it PP! :)
In all honesty though, the fact of the matter is, if RB is given sound, demonstrable reasons to vote for Barack or Hillary (,or any other Democrat in the running) and he considers them the best candidate, he will vote for them, just as he's done time and again in the past. RB votes his conscience, not his party affiliation.
We should all be so inclined.
Unfortunately, I think the Republicans have been going out of their ways to give RB reasons NOT to vote for them more than the Democrats have been giving him reasons TO vote for them.
I share many of RB's misgivings about our candidate choices. I, like RB, am tired of voting AGAINST one candidate rather than voting FOR his/her opponent. I, like RB, am tired of voting for the lesser of two evils.
I think many people, gay and straight, Democrat and Republican, are unhappy with our political and candidate options.
Posted by: Zeke | Aug 17, 2007 10:57:35 AM
Ah, shucks Zeke...you give me more credit than I deserve! And to think that I was just going to tell Peterparker that I would vote for Clinton or Obama when hell froze over and yet you make it sound so eloquent!
That is the reason that I want to be just like you when I grow up. Love your posts, respect your positions and will always have your back! And Peterparker, you are growing on me:-)
Posted by: RB | Aug 17, 2007 8:12:13 PM