Category: Marriage Equality

Morristown: Resolution Supporting Marriage Equality

by UU FA Office

At its annual meeting on June 3 2012 the Morristown Unitarian Fellowship unanimously passed a resolution in support of marriage equality. The idea for the resolution is a direct result of the UU Legislative Ministry of New Jersey. Starting with a request from the Plainfield congregation asking if other congregations had considered resolutions on marriage equality, members of Morristown said “this is exactly what we should do.”

This is the real value of the UULMNJ: congregations collaborating on making our UU voice heard throughout New Jersey.

Marriage Equality Passes

by UU FA Office

Congratulations!  As you have probably heard by now, after prevailing in the Senate earlier this week, marriage equality legislation passed the Assembly 42 – 33 yesterday.  This was a huge victory for several reasons.

It withstood incredible pressure and backroom lobbying from the governor’s office, and  it gives us two years to find the votes needed to override a veto.  But most importantly, there is a court case pending questioning the equality of civil unions.  When the court considers the legality of a legislative action, it tries to interpret the intention of the legislature.  This has provided a clear statement about the intention of the legislature which should dramatically help the court case.  So, we have two fronts on which to pursue Marirage Equality in New Jersey.
Yesterday, several people had told me how wonderful Unitarian Universalists were.  I was told that legislators commented on our letters and emails.  I don’t know how many letters, emails and petition names we gathered, but I’m sure it was in the thousands.
Again, I want to thank everyone who helped build this historical time in the history of New Jersey.
UU’s are awesome!
With great appreciation,
Rev. Craig

Marriage Equality – Votes on Feb. 13 and 16

by UU FA Office

Marriage Equality in Jersey is comig up for a vote.  The full New Jersey Senate will on vote Monday, February 13.  The session will begin at noon .  Please try to get there between 9am and 10am to fill the gallery if you are interested in going. The full New Jersey Assembly will vote on Thursday, February 16 in a session beginning at 1:00pm.

Letters should be sent, delivered or e-mailed before the vote date. Garden State Equality has provided a link for an easy way to send an e-mail message to all three of your legislators – your Senator and two Assembly members – all at once.  Given the time factor, e-mails are a great tool.  Here’s the link:  http://tinyurl.com/6ndybf7 .  Please let others know about this too.

From Garden State Equality: On both days, we suggest you park at the Trenton Marriott, 1 West Lafayette Street, and walk to the State House, 125 West State Street, three blocks away.  Garden State Equality volunteers will guide you from the Marriott to the State House.  If you have an EQUALITY The American Dream t-shirt, please wear it.  After the Assembly votes on Thursday, February 16, Garden State Equality will hold a huge gathering, free, at the nearby Trenton Marriott.

Assembly Hearing – Feb. 2

by UU FA Office
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The Assembly Judiciary Committee will hold a hearing on the marriage equality bill on Thursday, February 2 at 10:00am at the New Jersey State House, 125 West State Street in Trenton. If you would like a seat in the main room, get there early. Rev. Craig will have “Standing on the Side of Love” lapel stickers for all UU’s, so look forr her on the front of the annex steps as of about 9:30am.

This hearing is the final hearing on the bill and the second step in bill’s prospective passage.  The Senate Judiciary Committee hearing was capped by an 8 to 4 vote in favor of the marriage equality bill.  After Thursday’s Assembly Judiciary Committee hearing, in the weeks ahead the bill will go to the full Senate and the full Assembly for final floor votes.

What else can you do? Circulate petitions  in your congregation supporting marriage equality.  (Please let us know after they’ve been completed, so we can get them from you, director@uulmnj.org).

Marriage Equality Bills Introduced

by UU FA Office

In the new legislative session beginning in January 2012, the very first bills posted in the Assembly and Senate (A.1 and S.1 respectively) would establish marriage equality in New Jersey.

Check back for more information – we’ll keep you posted.

A Senate hearing is being held on Tuesday, January 24 at 11:00am in the State House in Trenton.  Join fellow UULMNJ members at the hearing – make sure to get there early!

You can also contact your legislators, see  www.njleg.state.nj.us/ for contact information.

And let us know if you would like to be part of our Marriage Equality Task Force, at director@uulmnj.org.

Marriage Equality – Senate Hearing Jan. 24, 2012

by UU FA Office

In the new legislative session beginning in January 2012, the very first bills posted in the Assembly and Senate (A.1 and S.1 respectively) would establish marriage equality in New Jersey.

A Senate hearing is being held on Tuesday, January 24 at 11:00am in the State House in Trenton.  Join fellow UULMNJ members at the hearing – make sure to get there early!

You can also contact your legislators, see  www.njleg.state.nj.us/ for contact information.

And let us know if you would like to be part of our Marriage Equality Task Force, at director@uulmnj.org.

Senate Hearing – January 24 – We Need You

by UU FA Office
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Garden State Equality is compiling witnesses to testify at the New Jersey Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on Tuesday, January 24 at 11:00 am on S.1, the marriage equality bill.  The hearing will be Tuesday at 11:00 am at the State House, though people will be meeting earlier to get seats.

They are specifically seeking:

  • Civil union couples who have faced difficulties with the civil union law.
  • Civil union couples who want to talk about what the deprivation of marriage equality means to them.
  • Clergy.
  • LGBT Youth. Parents or other loved ones of LGBT youth.
  • Supporters of marriage equality, straight or LGBT.

IF YOU’D LIKE TO TESTIFY, PLEASE E-MAIL Testify@GardenStateEquality.org and put TESTIFY in the subject header, and include in the email your name, town and the easiest phone number at which to reach you, which they will not give to anyone.  Please also include which category above applies to you, or any other category or anything else relevant.  Please let them know that you are from the Legislative Ministry, and copy UULMNJ PPN Executive Director Rev. Craig Hirshberg in your email, at director@uulmnjppn.org.

Whether or not you want to testify, please join us that morning.  We need a massive crowd.  Please meet us as early as possible on Tuesday morning at the State House, 125 West State Street, Trenton.  You can park at the Trenton Marriott, 1 West Lafayette Street, only three blocks from the State House, and then walk to the State House.  You cannot arrive too early.

Please forward this information to others in your congregation and urge them to participate in whatever way they are able to do so.  And then let Rev. Craig know what you are planning.  Thank you.

Cherry Hill: Gearing Up for Marriage Equality

by UU FA Office

Two years ago, the UU Church in Cherry Hill, under the leadership of our Social Justice Committee, put out an enormous effort to support marriage equality. Sadly, the bill before the legislature was defeated. We stood proudly along with other advocates of marriage equality doing our part. We wrote letters, volunteered time, and created a legislative brigade through which we were able to send about a dozen people (different people for different hearings depending on the individual availability of our church community members) to every important rally and hearing. We worked as a team and were as effective as we could be.

Now, the issue of marriage equality is coming up for vote again.  Despite our expectation that the governor will veto the bill, there is sufficient support among our legislators (including some who voted nay the last time around) that the bill should pass, and hopefully, might override a veto as well. This effort is supported not just by our church, but by all UU churches in New Jersey through our New Jersey UU Legislative Ministry.

There are two actions we seek from our church members at this time.

  • First, please visit Garden State Equality’s website for more information..
  • Second, consider what role you can take in this effort. In particular, we need new leadership in our congregation.

This issue took many of us by surprise. We need organization and we’re trying to balance our need to organize this effort with the many commitments church members already have. If you have passion and time and would like to help lead us in this effort, please contact Ken Goldberg (kennethgoldberg@comcast.net), right away.