Welcome, Gay Couples to NJ

[srfrgrl]

Yesterday Governor James McGreevy signed a bill that will allow same sex couples to have the same rights as married couples do, such as health coverage, rights to visitation, and benficiary rights as well. It is a landmark bill and according to most gay rights organizations is a model for how all bills should be made.

On the radio this morning they interviewed a couple who said "They were gonna call their realtor and sell their house and move to NJ where they will have the same rights married couples enjoy!"

Of course the church groups are up in arms and threatening to vote the good Gov out of office next term because he has violated the sanctity of marriage and the family!

I think this is great news and should be a definate stepping stone that will allow other states to follow the model we have passed. I wish they wouldn't let their own religious beliefs govern the people over the laws which they are supposed to pass to protect people. So anyone ready to move to NJ?

[DOCMIDNITE]

Congrats to all that this effects. Good for you , You deserve the same rights as married couples....And for all the Gay couples wanting to move to the Garden State....Quality of Life is quite expensive here compared to other states. Do some real investigating before you jump. You wouldn't want to move from a nice suburb somewhere into the dregs of Newark or East Orange.

As for Skeevy McGreevy..I don't think the church will have to work that hard to oust him. Just talking to people and certain groups that I deal with, He's a gonner!
Personally know to get the backing of the NJ Law Enforcement he stated he had a retirement plan ready to be implimented. It was a good $$$ plan for retired officers, and would keep these "Trolls" from being in Law enforcement for 35 to 40 years trying to get that last bit of $$$. Well once he was elected Geee it all went south! Go figure!!!I didn't vote for him as I listened to the WoodBridge Police (where he was Mayor) who said he was a liar.

[jaguarin]

Congratulations something that the people never stop to think about gays is that they are before people, as all of us.

:clap:

HEY I WANT AN INVITATION FOR YOUR WEEDDDINGGG!!!!!

[ELEKTRA]

Yo, just call me you know lol. I'll go I need to get out of the house any how. Right here send one down to ol' San Antone.

[AshDinaRachLvr]

I would move to New Jersey, but we have a bill that will go into effect in 2005 or 2006 here in California that gives us the same rights. I predict all the states will have this same sort of thing within the next 10 years. Well, all except the South. They're scary down there.

[Jesse321]

We are fighting for it down here in FL as well, but until we oust the baby DUHbya it won't happen.

Congrats to all those in NJ who fought to get this legislation passed and more importantly to those elected officials that had enough compassion to see it through !! ... BRAVO well done !!

[AshDinaRachLvr]

What I find strange is that all the Bush's think alike. You'd think at least ONE of them would be man enough to think for himself and not be a sheep. But then again, they are the Bushes.

[themaninblack]

CORRECTION: Not Bushes. They are SHRUBS.

[cateyes]

I find that somewhat offensive. He *is* the president of the United States, and I know I'm going to get totally bashed out for this, but I believe he is a man of good moral character. I will admit I have questioned his judgment sometimes, but I believe he is an upstanding man.

[LisaM]

Every time we have a political topic on this Forum, we wind up with a heated argument and SGH or I have to close the thread. Personally, I have very strong feelings on the current political state in this country but I don't want to play referee here. There are definitely more appropriate forums than a website devoted to BoP in which people can express their political views.

Everyone is entitled to their own beliefs but we don't need to spend valuable bandwidth debating political tenets which are far beyond the scope of this website.

[AshDinaRachLvr]

Originally posted by themaninblack
CORRECTION: Not Bushes. They are SHRUBS. :laugh: I considered that, but for some reason, decided against it. But I do agree with you. 100%


Back on topic: Congratulations to New Jersey.

[Derek Quinzel]

Good news for the people of Jersey. Congrats from me!

[yank2324]

Congrats to all the people that it effects. I hope that other states will follow New Jersey. People are all equal no matter who they love. They should have the same rights.

[the panther]

Bravo! Glad to see this. I'd move to Jersey to show how much I support the bill, but A: I'm 13 (almost 14), B: it really doesn't apply to me, and C: I'd really rather NOT move. :laugh:

[srfrgrl]

Looking at someone like Panther, I do have great hope that the next generation of young people will be much more tolerant than those before. Its very refreshing to see that young people are so excepting. I hope more young people become involved with politics so that we have some fresh perspectives and new ideas and the old foggies that have used their own personal value systems over the well being of others are eliminated!

[cateyes]

the word is accepting, not excepting, and it sounds like you're totally berating people who happen to have personal values.

[Bcool]

I was trying to avoid this thread because of it's obvious volatile nature. But I have to say I'm with Cat on this. Personal values and the right to express them is most important things about this country. Peoples views and opinions don't always coincide but that doesn't make them any less important. Just because I may not support something doesn't mean I don't support the person.

[MUZBNUTS]

Originally posted by LisaM
Every time we have a political topic on this Forum, we wind up with a heated argument and SGH or I have to close the thread. Personally, I have very strong feelings on the current political state in this country but I don't want to play referee here. There are definitely more appropriate forums than a website devoted to BoP in which people can express their political views.

Everyone is entitled to their own beliefs but we don't need to spend valuable bandwidth debating political tenets which are far beyond the scope of this website.

I felt the need to quote this since it seems it has been ignored. Last warning people or I'll close the thread myself. This is supposed to be a bit of news and a celebration for some. Others don't find the news enlightening or happy and that's their right - that's what makes the United States such a wonderful country. You have the right not to agree with other people's opinions without being shot for having an opinion of your own. But this is not a political boards and just like Lisa, I don't feel like playing referee to a political thread - especially one that was never intended to become one.

[Lady Ribena]

i love it when the mods crack their wips! meow!

so anyway congrats and all that to the people of NJ

[Jesse321]

I'm going to try my best to respond to this without directing my response at the current adminstration, so as to keep this out of the "political" arena.

********************

Everyone has "personal values," while I take no offense with anyone's personal beliefs or thier rights to express them, I take HIGH offense with ANYONE that judges me based solely on my gender and the gender of the person I happen to love !!

Gays are not deviants, we are not the stalking, child molesting, freaks that alot of people seem to think we are. We are Uncles and Aunts, brothers and sisters, sons and daughters, we're lawyers, doctors, nurses, architects, builders, accountants and yes we're even fathers and mothers .. and guess what, we have "personal values" too !!

Personal values aren't based on who you sleep with, they're based on the way you live your life as a human being, on how you treat others, as was as how you treat yourself.

You can't generalize and say that a straight person has more "personal values" than a gay person, just as you can't say the reverse .. each person should be judged on thier own merits ... sexual orientation be damned.

My sexualilty is the least of what makes me who I am, my sex drive doesn't justify or nullify my actions as a person and it most certaintly doesn't control my judgement, as I would hope it wouldn't control anyone elses. Does it influance the decisions I make and how I make them, of course it does ... just as your make up influences yours, but just as I wouldn't push my "personal values" on anyone, I don't want anyone else's pushed on me ... and in effect what's happening here is just that, someone else is telling me what is moral and acceptable and what isn't. We're not asking anyone to condone our lifestyle (on a personal note I don't like the word lifestyle, it implys that it's a choice, which I can assure you it's not), but don't condem us for it either. I've NEVER ONCE asked ANYONE to be or convert to being gay ... but I've can't tell you how many times and how many people (most in my own family) that have tried to make or manipulated me into trying to be straight.

So before you go casting the stone of "personal values" be careful your not living in a glass house.