A false compromise, II

Hard to imagine an editorial that more directly dismantles the bogus legislation that state Sen. Gerald Cardinale (R-Bergen) is offering as a sop to offset his attempt to amend the state Constitution to prevent same-sex marriage than the one that ran in The Record today.

There is nothing equal about this proposed legislation. As an example, two seniors living together to curb expenses is not the same as a same-sex couple living and sharing a life together in a committed relationship. The Equal Benefits Act mocks the commitment same-sex couples want to legally make, and it underscores the problems of implementing the state’s high court ruling.

The court gave the Legislature the discretion to decide whether to call same-sex unions marriage or something else. The court, though, was clear that same-sex couples were entitled to all the benefits of marriage.

The court went beyond the dollars and cents of marriage; it addressed the heart and soul of marriage. It recognized that same-sex couples are raising families and want the same legal and societal recognition for their unions, for their families.

The court, of course, punted, dumping this in the lap of the Legislature and making the civil rights of gay couples a matter of negotiation and political expediency.

Couples like Sarah and Suyin Lael of Dayton (pictured) deserve a lot better.

South Brunswick Post, The Cranbury Press
The Blog of South Brunswick

Author: hankkalet

Hank Kalet is a poet and freelance journalist. He is the economic needs reporter for NJ Spotlight, teaches journalism at Rutgers University and writing at Middlesex County College and Brookdale Community College. He writes a semi-monthly column for the Progressive Populist. He is a lifelong fan of the New York Mets and New York Knicks, drinks too much coffee and attends as many Bruce Springsteen concerts as his meager finances will allow. He lives in South Brunswick with his wife Annie. View all posts by hankkalet