As the Prop 8 trial goes on in California, legislators returning Wednesday from a break in Hawaii may be taking up the issue of civil unions in the state.

The bill, if passed, will provide same-sex couples a domestic partnership that offers all of the rights and benefits of marriage.  It would be similar to domestic partnership laws already passed in Washington, DC (where same-sex marriage is currently pending after city council approval), California, Nevada, Oregon, Washington and New Jersey.

The legislature took up the proposal last year and it won preliminary approval.  The bill was then put on hold in May after thousands of anti-gay protesters held a rally to get lawmakers attention.

“This bill has already been voted on, so there isn’t as much convincing to do anymore,” said Alan Spector of Equality Hawaii, a leading supporter of the bill.  ”I think (legislators) get the substance of the bill and the need for the bill.”

“It’s up to the people who oppose civil unions to remind the legislators that they work for the people,” said Garret Hashimoto, chairman of the Hawaii Christian Coalition. “There’s no ifs, ands or buts that the majority of the people in Hawaii oppose civil unions and gay marriage.”

In other news, New Mexico appears to be seriously considering a similar bill.  There is also chatter that civil union bills may soon pop up in Illinois and Minnesota.  States that have limited civil unions are Maryland, Maine, Colorado and Wisconsin.  The states that permit same-sex marriage are Iowa, Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut and hopefully soon, Washington, DC.

This is an important step for Hawaii.  The 2000 census found that the state has 1,200 male couples, 1,100 female couples and 21,000 mixed couples.

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(Photo: Jeff Kubina’s photostream http://www.flickr.com/photos/kubina/ / CC BY-SA 2.0)

Hawaii Legislators to Vote on Civil Unions originally appeared on Gay Vantage on January 18, 2010.

It has only been a few hours since gay marriage was shot down in New Jersey and two groups have already announced that they will launch a lawsuit over the right for same-sex couples to marry in the state.

Garden State Equality and Lambda Legal jointly announced that they are going to file suit based on the unanimous ruling by the New Jersey Supreme Court in 2006 that same-sex couples must be treated equally under New Jersey’s Constitution. Although the state does have a domestic partnership law, it grants certain rights to married couples that domestic partners are denied.

During the same-sex marriage debate, some lawmakers made statements about the state’s domestic partnership law not being strong enough.  It is our understanding that the groups hope to use such statements, as well as other evidence, to prove that gay marriage is needed in New Jersey in order to comply with the New Jersey Supreme Court’s 2006 ruling.

(Courtroom photo courtesy tracie7779’s photostream http://www.flickr.com/photos/twobears2/ / CC BY-SA 2.0)

Two Groups to Sue for Gay Marriage in New Jersey originally appeared on Gay Vantage on January 7, 2010.

After a tense afternoon with a lot of debate on the issue of gay marriage, New Jersey State Senators took a vote and did not pass gay marriage.

The vote was 20-14 with the state Senators opposing gay marriage winning.

New Jersey is now the latest state to shoot down same-sex marriage in the legislature.

The state does have a weak domestic partnership law that was passed in 2002, but denies same-sex couples many of the rights that same-sex couples enjoy.

Perhaps the state, which is struggling financially like so many others, is not interested in the $200 million that gay marriage was expected to bring the state.

(Photo courtesy maduarte’s photostream http://www.flickr.com/photos/maduarte/ / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

Gay Marriage Bill Defeated in New Jersey originally appeared on Gay Vantage on January 7, 2010.

As the 30-day Congressional review period runs out on the DC gay marriage bill that was passed by the city council and signed by the mayor, 39 members of Congress are going through the back door in hopes of putting the issue up for vote by DC residents.

All Republicans, the 39 members filed a joint amicus brief with the D.C. Superior Court on Wednesday regarding putting the issue up to resident vote.  The filing was in response to the District of Columbia Board of Elections and Ethics ruling that same-sex marriage should not and would not be put up to popular vote.

Signers of the brief are:
Senators James Inhofe (Oklahoma) and Roger Wicker (Mississippi) with U.S. Representatives. Robert Aderholt (Alabama), Todd Akin (Missouri), Michele Bachmann (Minnesota), J. Gresham Barrett (South Carolina), Roscoe Bartlett (Maryland), Marsha Blackburn (Tennessee), John Boehner (Ohio), John Boozman (Arkansas), Eric Cantor (Virginia), Jason Chaffetz (Utah), John Fleming (Louisiana), J. Randy Forbes (Virginia), Virginia Foxx (North Carolina), Scott Garrett (New Jersey), Phil Gingrey (Georgia), Louie Gohmert (Texas), Jeb Hensarling (Texas), Wally Herger (California), Walter Jones (North Carolina), Jim Jordan (Ohio), Steve King (Iowa), Jack Kingston (Georgia), John Kline (Minnesota) Doug Lamborn (Colorado), Robert Latta (Ohio), Don Manzullo (Illinois), Michael McCaul (Texas), Thaddeus McCotter (Michigan), Patrick McHenry (North Carolina), Cathy McMorris Rodgers (Washington), Jeff Miller (Florida), Jerry Moran (Kansas), Randy Neugebauer (Texas), Mike Pence (Indiana), Joe Pitts (Pennsylvania), Mark Souder (Indiana), and Todd Tiahrt (Kansas).

Related: DC Tries to Have Lawsuit Over Gay Marriage Dismissed, Congressman Vows to Fight DC Gay Marriage Law, Will Bob King Kill Gay Marriage in DC?

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(Photo courtesy jsmjr’s photostream http://www.flickr.com/photos/jsmjr/ / CC BY-SA 2.0)

39 Members of Congress Fighting DC Gay Marriage originally appeared on Gay Vantage on January 7, 2010.

Senate President Richard J. Codey (D-Essex) announced on Tuesday that the full New Jersey State Senate is scheduled to vote again on S1967, “Freedom of Religion and Equality in Civil Marriage Act” at 2 PM on Thursday, January 7, 2010.

If passed by the legislature and signed by the Governor, same sex marriage will become legal in the state.

“Given the intensely personal nature of this issue, I think the people of this state deserve the right to a formal debate on the Senate floor. I’d like to commend both sides of this issue for their passionate advocacy thus far and the heartfelt testimony that we have heard,” Mr. Codey said.

Related: Gay Marriage in NJ Would Bring $200 Million to the State

Copy of the Bill
New Jersey S1967 Same Sex Marriage Bill

(Photo courtesy maduarte’s Flickr photostream http://www.flickr.com/photos/maduarte/ / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

New Jersey Set to Vote on Gay Marriage originally appeared on Gay Vantage on January 6, 2010.

A study recently released by the Williams Institute found that approving gay marriage in New Jersey would boost their sagging economy by almost $200 million over the next three years.

The report also estimates that same-sex marriage in the state will create approximately 1,400 jobs.

The group determined these numbers by using Census Bureau data from states that have already approved same sex marriage.  They also relied on a recent survey of Massachusetts same-sex couples that polled them on how much they spent on their marriages.

“The new report takes into account the changing legal landscape and the recession,” says study co-author Brad Sears, Executive Director of the Williams Institute.  ”When we conducted our last analysis in 2008, New Jersey would have only competed with one other state in attracting out-of-state same-sex couples seeking to marry.  Now same-sex couples can marry in five other states.”

The new report also takes into account that New York same-sex couples now have a greater incentive to come to New Jersey to marry.  ”While the legislature did not extend marriage to same-sex couples this month, the New York Court of Appeals recently upheld the decision of state agencies to recognize the relationships of New York same-sex couples who marry in other states” says study co-author Christopher Ramos.  ”This makes it likely that many New York couples will make the short trip to New Jersey to marry.”

This new estimate only includes direct spending by same-sex couples on their weddings, and tourism spending by out-of-state couples who travel to marry in New Jersey and the guests of in-state couples who marry.  It does not include spending by family members and friends on gifts or by those traveling within New Jersey to attend weddings.  The estimate also does not include the standard multiplier for tourism spending, that each $1 spent in the state generates over $2 in additional spending.

“If these factors are taken into account,” says Sears, “the total impact on the [state of] New Jersey could be close to half a billion dollars.”

The New Jersey legislator is set to take up the issue of gay marriage again on Thursday, January 7, 2010.

Full Report: The Impact of Extending Marriage to Same-Sex Couples on the New Jersey Budget [PDF]

(Photo courtesy AMagill’s Flickr photostream http://www.flickr.com/photos/amagill/ / CC BY 2.0)

Gay Marriage in NJ Would Bring $200 Million to the State originally appeared on Gay Vantage on January 6, 2010.

One of the big arguments that those who are against gay marriage like to make it that marriage is about procreation.

Another argument is that it will lead to incest, pedophilia and a bunch of other undeseriable things.  None of which are true.

The interesting thing is that while only five states currently allow gay marriage, twenty one states allow marriage between first cousins — no questions asked — and an additional six states allow it under certain circumstances.

For the states that only allow marriage between first cousins under certain circumstances, one of those conditions is often that the couple is already unable to reproduce.  There goes the procreation argument!

The fact that states even allow marriage to first cousins throws out the incest argument.  It also makes the West Virginia jokes kind of not-funny since marrying your cousin is not even permitted in that state.

Marrying your first cousin is completely legal in California.  You would have thought that the Prop 8 folks would have put a ban on marrying your first cousin along with the ban on gay marriage.  Their argument is that they want to protect marriage — and that banning gay marriage is not done out of hate — but apparently marrying your cousin does not destroy the institution of marriage as long as you’re straight.

Perhaps if we try to ban first cousin marriage the response will be “but they didn’t choose to be cousins!”  Because you know, we choose to be gay.  I made the choice to be gay at around age 5, because that is when I was first attracted to another boy.  Plus, by choosing to be gay, I chose the much easier path in life. [/sarcasm]

The rundown:

States where marrying your first cousin is legal: Alabama, Alaska, California, Colorado, Connecticut, DC, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont and Virginia.

States where you cannot marry your first cousin: Arkansas, Delaware, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Washington, West Virginia, Wyoming

States where you can sometimes marry your first cousin: Arizona, Illinois, Indiana, Maine, Utah, Wisconsin

States where two non-related people who are in love and not related can get married tomorrow: Connecticut, Iowa, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont

The really progressive states where you can marry your same-sex cousin: Connecticut, Vermont

It sure would be interesting if pro-gay marriage lawyers used these arguments in the court cases going on around the country.  Better yet, if there is a proposition added to the ballot to ban marriage between first cousins in California, just like the guy the guy that wants to ban divorce in that state.

Corrections: Maine was originally listed as a state where same-sex couples (and cousins) could marry.  This has been corrected and we apologize for the error.

(Photo courtesy Scubaben’s Flickr photostream http://www.flickr.com/photos/scubavagabond/ / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

More Gay Marriage Hypocrisy Exposed originally appeared on Gay Vantage on January 2, 2010.

Five New Jersey State Senators who are considered moderate Republicans have said that they will not vote in support of the gay marriage bill that will be coming up shortly.

The five State Senators are:

• Sean Kean of Monmouth County
• Thomas H. Kean, Jr. of Union County
• Jennifer Beck of Monmouth County
• Andrew Ciesla of Ocean County
• Christopher “Kip” Bateman of Somerset County

They do, however, support strengthening and enforcing New Jersey’s civil union law, which they argue provides all of the same benefits of marriage but without the title.

In response, Senator Raymond Lesniak, a Democrat and co-sponsor of the gay marriage bill, said “I really appreciate their recognition that civil unions are not working and do not provide equal protection under the law.  I think we can convince these well-intentioned Senators that separate can never be equal.”

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(New Jersey State House photo courtesy of maduarte’s Flickr photostream http://www.flickr.com/photos/maduarte/ / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

New Jersey Senators Say They Won’t Vote for Gay Marriage originally appeared on Gay Vantage on December 19, 2009.

The much anticipated vote by the New Jersey Senate on gay marriage that was supposed to take place tomorrow has been postponed.

The President of the Senate, Richard Codey, agreed to postpone the vote until the Assembly Judiciary Committee holds a hearing on the measure.

The clock is ticking — if his bill has a chance, it has to be passed soon as the outgoing Governor supports gay marriage and the incoming one does not.

Read the story at NJ.com

UPDATE: NJ Gay Marriage Vote Delayed originally appeared on Gay Vantage on December 9, 2009.

Gay marriage in New Jersey has cleared another hurdle.  Today, the Senate Judiciary Committee approved the bill, which means it will move to the floor for a full vote on Thursday, December 10, 2009.

The bill was approved 7 to 6 at 10:06 PM, after 1,000 people flooded the statehouse today to weigh in.

The testimony was intense, leading some to cry.  Senator Bill Baroni, a Republican, added an amendment clarifying that clergy would not be required to perform same-sex marriages if it conflicts with their religious beliefs.

NJ Senate Committee Approves Gay Marriage Bill originally appeared on Gay Vantage on December 7, 2009.