Posted by
Team Turk on Thursday, October 26, 2006 3:37:27 PM
From United Press International:
Same-sex couples "must be afforded on equal terms the same rights as benefits enjoyed by opposite-sex couples," the New Jersey Supreme ruled Wednesday.
The court also said calling same-sex unions a "marriage" or some other term was "a matter left to the democratic process."
"Times and attitudes have changed, and there has been a developing understanding that discrimination against gays and lesbians is no longer acceptable in this state," the court said in a divided 4-3 ruling.
"Denying committed same-sex couples the financial and social benefits and privileges given to their married heterosexual counterparts bears no substantial relationship to a legitimate governmental purpose," the 90-page ruling said.
The court gave the state Legislature six months to enact laws protecting same-sex unions. New Jersey's marriage statutes currently define marriage as being between a man and a woman.
Until now, only Massachusetts authorized same-sex marriages. Nineteen states have constitutional amendments banning same-sex marriage.