Steven Goldstein and Daniel Gross reaffirm their Civil Union
in the office of Sen. Loretta Weinberg. Photo, New York Times.
At midnight, New Jersey's civil unions statute took effect.
In Teaneck, Garden State Equality's Steven Goldstein and his partner, Daniel Gross, reaffirmed their 2002 Vermont civil union in the office of Sen. Loretta Weinberg, at 12:08 AM becoming the first New Jersey couple to take advantage of the new law. Weinberg was a co-sponsor of the groundbreaking legislation.
Town halls in Lambertville (where the day is being marked as Precedent's Day), Asbury Park and South Orange were opened at midnight to allow couples to file applications for civil unions, for which there is a 72-hour waiting period, just as with marriage licenses.
Plainfield resident and Garden State Equality vice-chairperson Joan Hervey advised PT by email that she was unaware of any special effort in Plainfield to mark the momentous occasion.
How different from the day the Domestic Partnership Act took effect in 2004.
Mayor Al McWilliams celebrates with residents
Mark Newton and Sam Delgado as they register
their domestic partnership, July 10, 2004.
At that historic moment, Saturday July 10th, Mayor Al McWilliams opened the Registrar's office for Plainfield couples to register for domestic partnerships, which conveyed many, but not all, of the privileges of married couples. (Clarification: There were no actual registrations that day as the Registrar was on vacation and the clerical assistant who distributed information was not empowered to actually register applicants, who needed to return on the following Monday to complete the process. Thanks to reader PS who jogged PT's memory. The point that SOMETHING WAS DONE TO MARK THE DAY remains. -- DD, Monday, 6:54 PM)
Plainfield couples who registered that day were treated to a reception in the lobby of City Hall Annex.
Today being President's Day, the first opportunity Plainfield same-sex couples will have to register is tomorrow.
With one of the largest concentrations of same-sex couples in the state, wouldn't one have expected Plainfield to mark this historic moment in some way?
Nary a bang nor a whimper.
Today's coverage --
- Star-Ledger: "Making it official just after midnight" -- and Photo Gallery.
- Asbury Park Press: "Asbury opens doors early for couples seeking civil unions"
- Jersey Journal: "Jersey City gay pairs celebrate on 'PATH to Equality'"
- Courier News: "Civil unions become legal today in N.J."
- New York Times: "As NJ Opens Door to Civil Unions, Couples Rush In"
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2 comments:
Dan, Would you please avoid adding to the overexposure of Hypemaster Steven Goldstein? He's got a big mouth, yes he has has done some good for gays, BUT at the same time he takes credit for the work done by other hard-working individuals and groups across the state while brushing them aside. The less I hear about this egotist, the better. I also find it informative that Hervey, Goldstein's acolyte, couldn't encourage her City Hall pals to open for business today. So much for having an "inside track" with Sharon and Jerry. Why isn't she complaining loudly? Food for thought.
How about mentioning the fact that Mayor Sharon Robinson-Briggs publicly announced, in her "State of the City" address this year, that she would perform civil unions? Real progressive action--much better than mere symbolic photo-ops, don't you think?
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