(Reuters / Carlo Allegri)
At this point, marriage equality will still begin in New Jersey on October 21. From Lambda Legal:
Today the New Jersey Superior Court denied the State’s motion to stay the September 27th ruling allowing same-sex couples to marry. Lambda Legal had filed a brief on behalf of Garden State Equality, New Jersey’s statewide LGBT advocacy organization, and six same-sex couples who seek the freedom to marry, asking the Court to deny the motion.
In today’s decision, the Court wrote: “In making this argument, however, the State ignores the largely abstract nature of the harm it alleges, which pales in comparison to the concrete harm caused to Plaintiffs by their current ineligibility for many federal marital benefits, and the significant litigation burden they would have to shoulder to challenge federal denial of marital benefits to civil union couples.”
“This is wonderful news!” said Hayley Gorenberg, Deputy Legal Director of Lambda Legal. “The court’s decision once again confirms that the hardships of not being able to marry are real and immediate. Every day does count. Allowing same-sex couples to marry helps many New Jersey families and hurts no one else.”
Governor Chris Christie is still expected to appeal to a higher court for a stay.
