TRENTON – One of New Jersey’s two openly gay state lawmakers lauded the Supreme Court’s rulings Wednesday, but called on the state to “correct our own inequality.”
Assemblyman Reed Gusciora (D-15) referred to the nation’s highest court’s ruling invalidating the Defense of Marriage Act as “an essential step” toward equality. The lawmaker said in a statement it’s now time for equal rights to be extended to New Jersey residents.
“This victory notwithstanding, we still need to correct our own inequality here in New Jersey by either the governor withdrawing his veto on marriage equality or by placing the matter up to the voters so we can correct this ourselves,” he said.
“While New Jersey is still only one of two states in the Northeast without same-sex marriage, this landmark decision by the Supreme Court recognizes the rights and privileges of all loving, committed couples who currently have marriage licenses,” Gusciora said. “Hopefully this decision will provide greater traction for New Jersey in acquiring the same equality.”
Gusciora is one of two openly gay members of the New Jersey Legislature. The state’s other openly gay lawmaker, Assemblyman Timothy Eustace (D-38), echoed his colleague’s comments.
“Today’s decision is an enormous step forward in the fight for true equality. Essentially the Supreme Court has affirmed that all men and women are created equal and should be treated accordingly regardless of whom they love,” Eustace said in a release.
“The only thing standing in the way of true victory now is for our state to finally recognize that separate but equal is not truly equal,” he said. “For the thousands of same-sex couples and their families still struggling for equality in their states, including New Jersey, I hope this will serve as a beacon of hope that eventually justice will prevail.”
