New Jersey Congressman Steve Rothman says his lesbian step daughter convinced him to support gay marriage. Rothman, a Democrat, has now joined the recently inaugurated House Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender Caucus. Yay! [Courier Post]

Some loose-talking firefighters cost Seacaucus, New Jersey major dough. Gay couple Peter de Vries and Timothy Carter won a combined $2.84 million in damages yesterday after years of torment from their former firefighter neighbors, who taunted them with gay slurs an eventually forced the men to move. [Newsday]

Does former New Jersey first lady Dina Matos-McGreevey, whose husband Jim retired after coming out as a “gay American,” really understand the ludicrous nature of her alimony argument? “Matos McGreevey wants child support for the couple’s 6-year-old daughter and alimony, including compensation for the 13 months she missed out on the lifestyle perks of the governor’s office. Earlier, her accountant testified that the gubernatorial lifestyle of the former first couple is worth $51,000 a month.” It’s almost as if she expected such a “lifestyle” when they married. And, yes, we’re calling her an opportunistic gold digger. [Philly]

Get excited, readers! The McGreevey divorce trial begins this week and we can be sure to hear all sorts of salacious, nauseating details of how the former NJ Governor and his Missus got down in the bedroom.

Dina Matos-McGreevey alleges that hubby Jim duped her into marriage by lying about being a bit bent. Jim McGreevey’s lawyer, Stephen Haller, has already leaked how they’ll be contesting Dina’s allegations. And it ain’t pretty: Plaintiff [Mr. McGreevey] will testify at trial that he needed to have a disrobed male present in the room with them when the parties had sexual relations in order to maintain an erection.
…
This tends to prove that plaintiff was at … Continued…

America’s contrived civil unions can be so taxing!

Just ask Jason Smith and Settimo Pisu, a civil unionized couple from Hartford, Connecticut.

The boys tried to file their taxes on H&R Block’s TaxCut Online website, but received quite a rude message: “We don’t support Connecticut civil union returns.” When will the internet learn manners?

Connecticut passed civil union laws over three years ago, but the national tax company has yet to update their online system. Instead, it directed them to a local H&R Block office or an “online professional,” which apparently costs a pretty pink penny.

The perfectly suburban Smith and Pisu are incensed. As they should be…
Continued…

United Parcel Service united with the gays today. Well, gay business owners, at least.

The international courier signed on as a partner with the National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce, thus giving it access to millions of bent businesses. UPS diversity director Lisa Johnson lauded the move as both economically and socially progressive: Partnering with the NGLCC not only helps LGBT businesses grow by conducting business with UPS, but we also gain access to excellent suppliers. Expanding our process to include LGBT-owned businesses reinforces our commitment to supplier diversity. UPS previously made homo headlines when they challenged New Jersey’s illiberal civil unions.

Jacqueline McGreevey becomes a pawn once again!

Former New Jersey governor Jim McGreevey rebutted his wife Dina’s fraud charges by using their six-year old daughter as evidence of his sexual sincerity. Dina claims the politico - who came out in 2004 - duped her into a loveless marriage, but McGreevey insists little Jacqueline’s life proves otherwise: Whether or not Dina Matos McGreevey knew her husband, former Gov. James E. McGreevey, was gay should not matter because there was a marriage that produced a child, and thus no fraud was perpetrated, McGreevey alleged in divorce papers released today.
Air tight!

Jon Corzine kinda sorta came out against civil unions yesterday. The New Jersey governor told reporters that he has “significant concerns” about the legislation, which a commission just found to be flawed.

Said Corzine: “The report does raise significant concerns about whether the law has effectively granted same-sex couples the same rights and benefits of every other family in the state.”

Despite his hesitancy, however, ally Corzine will not push for gay marriage until after this November’s election. While on the surface it may seem like Corzine’s skirting the issue, but he’s most probably trying to keep wedge issues off the table lest he fuck up the Democratic game.

Today’s the day! The New Jersey Civil Union Review Commission will release its official report this afternoon. Non-profit Garden State Equality got its gay hands on the complete document and posted it at Civil Unions Don’t Work. They’ve also provided some videos of men and women testifying before the Commission that civil unions are flawed. We’ve included one such testimony above. It’s the most exciting thing we’ve seen since we woke up.

In addition, GSE started airing a new 60-second radio ad this morning on - you guessed it - how civil unions don’t work. Listen to it here.

New Jersey’s getting some gay history for the New Year. Neptune Township Committeeman Randy Bishop’s set to become the Garden State’s third openly gay mayor. Bishop, who will be sworn in at noon Tuesday for his second three-year term on the committee, is also expected later in the afternoon to be picked as mayor for 2008. When that happens, Bishop will be one of two openly gay mayors serving this year in New Jersey, and one of only three in the state’s history.
…
The list of openly gay mayors in New Jersey is short: Democrat Gina Genovese became the state’s first openly gay mayor in 2005 when she was chosen for the position … Continued…

• The footage may be janky, but the new Batman trailer makes us believers.

• Beware the breast cancer: men whose foremothers had breast cancer may be at greater risk.

• Rhode Island’s lesbian divorce heads to the state’s Supreme Court.
Continued…

Jim and Dina McGreevey were scolded like children in a Jersey court yesterday.
Continued…

• This is why we love New York. The Broadway strike comes to an end and the cast of A Chorus Line dances through the streets. And that lead liner looks pretty cute. Maybe we should become theater queens…

• NYU’s Stern Business School just got its first gay group. How did they not buy into gay rights sooner?

• Lesbian love quarrel flames: “A lovers’ quarrel between two women got out of hand, police said, and one found herself nearly set on fire.” Ow!

• John Travolta at notoriously gay spa?

• Anti-Gay marriage radio ad plagues New Jersey.
Continued…

Time’s running out for the presidential candidates.

The Iowa Caucuses are a mere 52-days away and trust the the hopefuls have been doing double time trying to persuade voters that they’re the real deal. Take, for example, Barack Obama…
Continued…

The New York Times editorial crew sure has been opinionated lately - and gay. In addition to taking on the ever-complicated ENDA, the paper’s journos offered their thoughts on New Jersey’s “flawed” civil unions: It is hardly a surprise that New Jersey’s civil union law is not working very well. During the past several weeks, dozens of same-sex couples have testified that the law has not provided the equal benefits that were promised when it passed.

Now, the special commission that heard the testimony has made it official: the civil union law has been a “failure.” Frank Vespa-Papaleo, who is chairman of the commission as well as the state’s director of civil rights, said … Continued…