Will New Jersey stop at civil unions? The state supreme court says gay couples deserve equality in marriage, but it gave the legislature 180 days to define what that means. If lawmakers offer civil unions, don't expect much of a celebration.(MARRIAGE)(Legislation)

From: The Advocate (The national gay & lesbiannewsmagazine) | Date: December 5, 2006| Author: | Copyright information

If the 1999 court ruling that led to civil unions for gays in Vermont was an occasion for champagne, New Jersey's late-October decision granting same-sex couples rights equal to marriage--but not the name marriage--called for a bottle of beer. Seven years ago civil unions were an unquestioned achievement. Now, after achieving full marriage equality in Massachusetts, gays and lesbians are sniffing at them like an old hand-me-down.

So where does that leave us in the fight to have our unions recognized as marriage--an effort that seems to become more exhausting the longer it ...

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