NJ favors gay marriage by slim margin

By a slight margin, more New Jersey residents favor the legalization of same-sex marriage than oppose it, according to a recent poll conducted by the Eagleton Institute of Politics.
Of the 903 adults who took the poll, 46 percent were in favor of changing New Jersey’s legislation, which only recognizes civil unions, to legalize gay marriage. Meanwhile, 42 percent opposed it.
“[The opinion] isn’t a majority because there’s 12 percent who say they don’t know, but more New Jerseyans support gay marriage than oppose it,” said Eagleton Poll Director David Redlawsk. “There is more of a ‘live and let live’ attitude in New Jersey than in many other states that have dealt with the issue.”
Despite the results, the poll indicated 44 percent of participants find the issue not important and 37 percent dubbed it somewhat important.
“For most New Jersey residents, this is not a very important issue,” Redlawsk said. “However, it is more important for the people who support gay-marriage.”
Joseph Focaraccio, a School of Arts and Sciences first-year student, supports gay-marriage and thinks it should be discussed, but does not think it is the most important issue right now.
“I think one of the more important problems that should be addressed is the economy or the corruption going on in the state government,” Focaraccio said.
Krista Pecoraro, co-president of the Bisexual, Gay and Lesbian Alliance at Rutgers University, said gay marriage is an important issue because a lot of people overlook marriage equality.
“No matter how old people are, they have the right to be happy, and to deny the right to say they are really married, happy and to have those rights [that accompany a legal marriage] is wrong,” said Pecoraro, a School of Arts and Sciences senior.
She said that there are clear distinctions between older and younger generations when it comes to this issue.
“A lot of older individuals don’t think it’s important,” said Pecoraro. “They overlook coming out and don’t see it as more of a big deal.”
But the issue of what should be considered top priority is an argument made by those who want to avoid talking about gay marriage, said Associate Professor at the Graduate School of Education Catherine A. Lugg.
“It implies that civil rights for one historically stigmatized group aren’t important,” Lugg said. “It’s a way of politically erasing a politically troublesome minority group.”
School of Arts and Sciences first-year student Marissa Curcio, who is bisexual, said same-sex couples should have the same rights as heterosexual couples but thinks that legalization is moderately important.
“It’s not a drastic issue, but it should be considered and should be definitely changed,” she said.
With only a few weeks left in Gov. Jon S. Corzine’s term, legislators have a slim margin of time to submit a bill legalizing gay marriage to his desk before Governor-elect Chris Christie, who is anti-gay marriage, takes his place.
If lawmakers pass the bill legalizing gay marriage, 52 percent would accept it, while 40 percent would support a constitutional amendment banning it, according to the poll.
Redlawsk said it is really up to the leaders of the legislature to bring the bill up to a vote, but there are a few factors that are causing its delay.
“There’s some thoughts expressed that the legislature should focus on things like the economy right now rather than on social issues like marriage equality,” he said.
Aside from arguments of priority, New Jersey already recognizes civil unions, which some people believe provide same-sex couples with the same benefits and privileges as heterosexual couples, Redlawsk said.
On the other hand, Lugg is highly doubtful that any gay marriage bill will be passed within the next few weeks.
“The N.J. legislature has consistently failed to lead in this area,” Lugg said. “The general public is far ahead of their own elected leaders on the issue of gay marriage.”

— Sara Gretina contributed to this article

2 comments

Eric K.

Mon Nov 30 2009 22:32

Jared, is there something particularly important about France that we should follow their lead on social policy here in the United States?

And you never explain why two fathers, or two mothers, is more damaging than a mother and a father. Do fathers not beat their children, neglect their duties, or even leave their households all the time? Is this more likely when the couple is same-sex? I don't think so.

Also, why do children have a "right" to both a mother and a father? If that was the case, wouldn't we bar single parents from adopting children?

Jared D.

Mon Nov 30 2009 19:13

I am sad to see New Jersey vote to recognize Same-Sex marriage. Marriage should be a beneficial union for society. Same Sex couples can be allowed to form civil unions, but calling that a marriage can damage society. How would that damage society? First, it damages the understanding of what a family is. Children deserve to be raised in an environment where they have the loving support of a mother and father. France rejected gay marriage in 2006. They concluded that same-sex marriages do not benefit the interest of children or future society. France concluded that they could “no longer systematically place [the] aspirations of adults ahead” of children’s needs and rights. I myself have same-gender attraction. While I love children, I would never seek to raise a child in a same-sex relationship. Why? Because adoption is about a child's right to a family with a mother and father, not merely about my rights for a child.

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