an email i got from lambda legal
Yesterday was an important and exciting day in the history of our struggle for equality. Seven justices of the New Jersey Supreme Court unanimously decided “the state must provide to committed same-sex couples, on equal terms, the full rights and benefits enjoyed by heterosexual married couples.” Unlike previous decisions in other states, there was not a single dissenting opinion on this fundamental principle.
The courageous plaintiffs who brought the case spoke eloquently about their families, and Lambda Legal’s team of attorneys joined them to speak forcefully about the reasons why they deserve the same respect and legal protections as their heterosexual neighbors and friends. Their voices were heard, and we are grateful to them.
But the decision was not all we had fought for. By a slim 4-3 majority, the court left it to the New Jersey legislature, in the first instance, to enact either full marriage equality, or attempt a parallel, “civil union”-type scheme within the next 180 days. But a civil union is a separate, confusing legal idea that divides us from our friends and neighbors, rather than bringing us together as equals. We agree with Chief Justice Poritz, who wrote in her dissent, “Labels set people apart as surely as physical separation on a bus or in school facilities.”
After the decision was announced, Lambda Legal’s plaintiffs Sarah and Suyin Leal had a disappointing answer for their three children who asked: “Can you get married now?” We believe Sarah and Suyin’s family deserve nothing less than full marriage rights and equality. We believe all lesbians, gay men, bisexuals, transgender people and those with HIV deserve nothing less than fair treatment from their government.
Lambda Legal will continue to represent the hopes and needs of our plaintiffs and our community by working for full marriage equality and providing clear, in-depth information about its importance. We invite you to visit our website where we have assembled publications and other information to inform the debate. Working with many partners, we will use our legal expertise and continue to show all fair-minded people how we have been harmed by inequality. The rights and benefits of marriage are essential to our families.
Yesterday’s decision gives us hope, but it also gives us a big job to do. As always, we need your help and support to get the job done. You can help by contacting your friends and family in New Jersey and encouraging them to contact their representatives, telling them to support full marriage equality for same-sex couples (we’ve made it easy by making a special page for New Jersey residents to contact their representatives). You can also help by speaking up, making sure you vote and talking to as many people as you can about equality.
You can also help us at Lambda Legal to continue our work by making a contribution and signing our Contract for Equality online.
This is where we stand today: The decision in Lewis v. Harris has brought us one important step closer to equality and given us new hope. We stand strong in our resolve to continue to fight.
The courageous plaintiffs who brought the case spoke eloquently about their families, and Lambda Legal’s team of attorneys joined them to speak forcefully about the reasons why they deserve the same respect and legal protections as their heterosexual neighbors and friends. Their voices were heard, and we are grateful to them.
But the decision was not all we had fought for. By a slim 4-3 majority, the court left it to the New Jersey legislature, in the first instance, to enact either full marriage equality, or attempt a parallel, “civil union”-type scheme within the next 180 days. But a civil union is a separate, confusing legal idea that divides us from our friends and neighbors, rather than bringing us together as equals. We agree with Chief Justice Poritz, who wrote in her dissent, “Labels set people apart as surely as physical separation on a bus or in school facilities.”
After the decision was announced, Lambda Legal’s plaintiffs Sarah and Suyin Leal had a disappointing answer for their three children who asked: “Can you get married now?” We believe Sarah and Suyin’s family deserve nothing less than full marriage rights and equality. We believe all lesbians, gay men, bisexuals, transgender people and those with HIV deserve nothing less than fair treatment from their government.
Lambda Legal will continue to represent the hopes and needs of our plaintiffs and our community by working for full marriage equality and providing clear, in-depth information about its importance. We invite you to visit our website where we have assembled publications and other information to inform the debate. Working with many partners, we will use our legal expertise and continue to show all fair-minded people how we have been harmed by inequality. The rights and benefits of marriage are essential to our families.
Yesterday’s decision gives us hope, but it also gives us a big job to do. As always, we need your help and support to get the job done. You can help by contacting your friends and family in New Jersey and encouraging them to contact their representatives, telling them to support full marriage equality for same-sex couples (we’ve made it easy by making a special page for New Jersey residents to contact their representatives). You can also help by speaking up, making sure you vote and talking to as many people as you can about equality.
You can also help us at Lambda Legal to continue our work by making a contribution and signing our Contract for Equality online.
This is where we stand today: The decision in Lewis v. Harris has brought us one important step closer to equality and given us new hope. We stand strong in our resolve to continue to fight.