NJ court grants gay couples equal marriage rights

[Alex]

Originally Posted by Nephythys

Can someone please explain to me how gay marriage would have diddly effect on anyone else's marriage- anyone?

I can't, as it wouldn't. Which is why it should be allowed*.

The problem with these court cases, as I see it, is that they rarely say gay marriage must be allowed but rather that there isn't sufficient reason under current law and constitution for prohibiting it. They all say the legislatures must settle the question. If the population isn't quite ready to go with gay marriage yet, most states are going to constitutionalize the one man/one woman definition. And once it gets into the constitution it will be much harder to get it back out.

I strongly support gay marriage, but I think it would be much better achieved through the legislative process (though it will be slow) than the judicial. However, once the issue is before the court, I believe they have been reaching the correct conclusions. But the plaintiffs may not like the ultimate result.

*With the standard caveat that government shouldn't be in the business of sanctioning marriage at all but if it is, there is no basis other than traditional morality for limiting it to one man and one woman. Any combination of people, in any number or relationship, so long as they are all consenting, should be able to get from the government the benefits and protections of marriage.