Same-Sex Couples Sue for Marriage Rights in New Jersey (2004)

an all -new look. Marriage is an evolving thing. Marriage is not some sort of icon that never changes. Marriage is evolving all the time. It's evolving right now with us. But unless New Jersey's High Court rules, as the Massachusetts Court has, the evolution may have its limits. Mark Lewis and Dennis Winslow may find that equal legal marriage is still beyond their reach. You can take those jars for the recycling. We don't have to keep those. They're keeping them grand. They're like my grandmother. She thinks they're made out of gold. They've been together nearly 13 years. They share a life, an apartment, even a vocation. never fails to amaze me, the irony that the state of New Jersey believes that I'm fit to act as an agent to execute marriage licenses for them, but not to receive one, not to be so licensed for myself. In other words, Mark is an episcopal priest. So is

Dennis. And they've both officiated at lots of weddings. But now, they want their own. Well, I'm delighted about the new legislation because it's one more step toward justice for everybody. And as you know, Lambda Legal's case has been called supporting all roads to justice, domestic partnership in the legislature, marriage in the courts. So in my point of view, that's some half of our battle won. But only half. Now off. That half made real when the governor signed domestic partnership legislation into law. But still headed for the New Jersey Supreme Court, a suit designed to go much further. And Mark and Dennis are among the still hopeful plaintiffs. My name is Mark Lewis, and this is my partner, Dennis Winslow. You have serious hopes that this court will say, you know, Massachusetts was right, we're going to do the same thing. Nope. I have serious hopes that this court will say this is the right thing and we want it for New Jersey. But not everyone's willing to wait for New Jersey and the chance that it

might become the second state to legalize gay marriage. We have come here today to say the love between two women and the love between two men is sacred. Now if John Holden and Michael Galuccio look familiar, it may be that you remember their gay rights victory. They won the right to joint adoption by gay couples seven years ago. Now they're the fathers of three adopted kids. At ten years, we put on the tuxedos, we had a commitment ceremony. And they say, just as soon as Massachusetts starts issuing its marriage license to gays, may be as soon as mid -May. They'll be headed north to get online. I think we're waiting for the real thing. We don't really... We don't want anything less, really. But Maureen Killian and Cindy Menigin, mothers of two, say they have no Massachusetts plans, at least not while there's a possibility, they may get the chance to marry

right here. We live in Butler, Morris County. We've been together for twenty -eight years. They too are part of the Lambda legal suit here, and they're still optimistic. Just like their co -plaintiffs, Mark and Dennis. I want my home and my justice to be on New Jersey soil. You think it will happen here in New Jersey? will get married in the courthouse in New Jersey. I'm planning on it. I guess we go to Jersey City. No, we can go to Union City. don't know, maybe Jersey City. But here in New Jersey? Here in New Jersey. But success that spelled gay marriage is still a long way off. The state Supreme Court will still have to rule. No indication now of which way or whether if the court said yes, constitutional amendments could derail the whole thing. In Massachusetts it only took a few days before the debate over an amendment took off, and though there was no

agreement reached in a constitutional convention there last week, the legislature set to try again next month. And then there's the move to mount a federal amendment to stop gay marriage in Massachusetts or any other state. And the president who says he wants to defend the sanctity of marriage between a man and a woman seems about to sign on. We're going to be looking with our guests at the legal implications of this, but that also means the law making implications. Therefore, we want to know what's the public response to this question. Raymond, the American public seems still to be dismayed by this idea of gay marriage. But here in New Jersey there seems to be something different going on. Some perhaps surprisingly high numbers. Star -ledger Eagleton poll shows that 52 % of New Jersey ends favor civil unions, and 43 % say they're okay with gay marriage. And Raymond, when we look at people under 30 years old, the surprise may be greatest. The numbers are really high. Sandy, that last fact has deep implications for the future. And when we come back more on the pros and

cons, the likelihood and the politics of same -sex marriage. So stay with us. Music I think it's great. think people should be able to do what they want to do. I mean, you know, live your lives and let other people live their lives. I think it's disgusting and it's abomination. And whatever judge that's doing it can have no God in him. The witch is on, you know? I don't think there's anything wrong with it. I love people that are homosexuals. I love people that are lesbians. But I don't think they should marry. I think it's contrary to God's word. The people I know who live in same -sex relationships are no different than you and me. It's just a question of who they happen to partner up with. It doesn't bother me. If that's what you want to do, that's what you want to do. You're two human beings. That's

the way I look at it. But as we've seen in the furor created by the Massachusetts