Remember Bruce Harris, the openly gay African-American Republican mayor of Chatham, New Jersey who was recently sworn in to office?
Well, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie has nominated Harris to serve on the state Supreme Court, reports the Star-Ledger. He would become the first openly gay person to ever serve on the Court.
Steven Goldstein, the CEO of Garden State Equality, is beside himself with joy, and writes in a Facebook post today that Christie gave him a call before making the announcement about Harris.
A few minutes ago, just before announcing his two new Supreme Court nominees, Governor Christie called me on my cell phone to tell me he is nominating Bruce Harris to the New Jersey Supreme Court. Bruce will become the first openly LGBT person in history, and the third African-American person in history, to serve on the New Jersey Supreme Court. Most importantly, Bruce is eminently qualified to be a Supreme Court justice.
As I told the Governor right then and there, you could have picked me up off the floor.
But don’t think that this means Christie will sign the marriage-equality bill that is slated to pass his desk in the next month.
How about we take this to the next level?
Our newsletter is like a refreshing cocktail (or mocktail) of LGBTQ+ entertainment and pop culture, served up with a side of eye-candy.
Now, as for the marriage equality bill: The Governor and I didn’t discuss that in our phone conversation. I recognize, and caution everyone, that it would be unwise to read any change here in the Governor’s position on marriage equality; he has said in past months and years that he would veto the bill, and we take him at his word. We will fight hard every minute of every day to win marriage equality in New Jersey. Nothing will deter us.
But again, right now, that doesn’t mean we should not give credit where credit is due. Today, the Governor has made civil rights history, and on behalf of all of us at Garden State Equality, I extend to him our most profound appreciation.
While he has said in the past that he supports civil unions and not full-fledged marriage, Christie has not actually made any recent comments indicating how he will vote when the gay-marriage bill hits his desk. With money flowing to GOP pols who cross the aisle on marriage equality and the tides of public-opinion turning in support of gay marriage, Queerty thinks there is a small chance he might see the value in being on the right side of history.
the crustybastard
Gay judges at an appellate level are tremendously important.
It’s much harder to arbitrarily rule against the interests of gay people when they are your colleagues.
CBRad
I think that’s pretty cool.
Red Meat
So I have to ask, does this GAY GOP Mayor support marriage equality?
tj
How silly to be excited about his nomination based on identity politics. For all we know he is vehemently pro-life and anti equality. He’s Republican for a reason.
Right Is Right
FACT: Had Christie nominated a straight white guy, you would have trashed him for his choice. FACT: He nominates a gay black guy and what do you do? Why, trash him of course, because you wouldn’t be good liberals if you didn’t. How predictably cynical of you all.
CBRad
@Right Is Right: That’s because there are very specific rules, for how others are supposed to behave, in the gay ghetto. Anything that goes against that baffles them and makes them angrier. When Andrew Belonsky hears this he’ll start screaming, “Born this way, I was born this way! I am a GAGA gay-gay I was born this way..!!” and doing high-kicks, really hard, to make it go away.
CBRad
(Not that every individual with legitimate criticism or gripes against Christie or Harris should automatically be dismissed, but..)
GOD (gay old dude)
@tj: “For all we know”? Really? That’s what you’re basing your opinion on? As in, “For all we know, TJ is a racist evangelical who makes a living employing ten-year-olds in a sweat-shop in Mexico while in his spare time committing home invasions on elderly women”? Such intellect you display! Such a logical mind! In the future, please spare us your wishful thinking.
tj
@Gay old dude
Umm no actually Im not basing my opinion on “for all we know”. I’m basing it on the fact that he self identifies as a Republican as such its fairly reasonable to assume he supports the republican party platform which is anti marriage equality and pro-life. Being gay does not necessarily make you pro-gay marriage nor does being black make anyone pro affirmative action. Identity based assumptions are presumptuous and insulting.
Shannon1981
@Right Is Right: Are you really that much of a gay Uncle Tom or just a troll?
You really need to realize what the majority of the republican party is about. Gay people voting for right wingers is like black people voting for klan members or jewish people voting for nazis. Really. Wake up. The Dems are far from perfect, but at least they aren’t actively hating on us. Sometimes you gotta choose the lesser of two evils.
Riker
@Shannon1981: Erm, being a Republican doesn’t make you an Uncle Tom. Homosexuality may not be a choice, but political affiliation is. There are a growing number of pro-gay Republicans, like those in New York and Washington.
GOD (gay old dude)
@tj: Again, you use baselss terms such as, “It’s fairly reasonable to assume” and “For all we know.” Try fact-checking for a change—it works for me.
Right Is Right
@Shannon1981: Really, Shannon? Republicans are to gays what Nazis were to Jews? Seriously, you believe that? And Republicans are to gays what Klansmen were to blacks? Well, last I checked, Republicans didn’t slaughter 6 million Jews, and I can’t think of a single gay lynching perpetrated by someone who did so in the name of Republican Righteousness. What you need to understand is that’s it’s the RELIGIOUS right which claims an anti-gay agenda, not the Republican party as a whole, so stop confusing the two. It’s like me stating as fact that all the OWS rapists and thieves are the prime example of how Democrats behave, but I wouldn’t be dumb enough to make such a statement, since it would be a grotesque over-simplification. I respect your opinion, but let’s not go overboard, eh?
And let’s quit with the “Uncle Tom” references, too, shall we? It’s inappropriate, immature, and empowering to the real Uncle Toms out there.
Shannon1981
@Riker: I am talking about the party as a whole, and they still overwhelmingly cater to that nutter evangelical base because that is where all their major voting power comes from, and so it shall stay. Every single one of the Republican Presidential candidates hate us.
@Right Is Right: Truth hurts, doesn’t it? You lie down with dogs, you get up with fleas. All you have to do is go to any right wing website to see how much they hate queers. You really don’t need to ask why we overwhelmingly vote Democrat.
Shannon1981
@Right Is Right: If they could get away with doing to us what the Nazis did to the Jews and what the Klan did to Blacks, they would, mark my words. Especially Perry, Frothy, Bitchmann, Gingrich(which is especially vile, considering his own sister is gay). But its true. Wake up. They aren’t doing these things because in order to keep their power they need to be wolves in sheep’s clothing, and not reveal just how hateful they really are. I am just sorry some of you are too brainwashed by right wing propaganda to see that.
zach
@Ray:
Ah, nice one, racist douchebag
zach
@Shannon1981:
Shannon, take a xanax and relax. You’ve been watching too much Keith Olbermann and oher left-wing propaganda shows.
zach
@Shannon1981:
Shannon, you’re delusional.
Why didn’t big bag evil George Bush exterminate the guys during his 8 years in office?
What a whackjob you are
Hgfd
Crispy shouldn’t be trusted, There is a hidden agenda .
ousslander
@Shannon1981: What gays have been shipped on trains to death camps by republicans? Has the republican party seized gays from their homes and lynched them or burnt crosses on their lawn?
Right Is Right
@Shannon1981: Talk about brainwashed. Obviously, you think all conservatives are evil incarnate and want all liberals dead. To be a sycophant is one thing, but apparently you’re so far to the left that the rational part of your brain has been overtaken by paranoia and conspiracy theories. I won’t go as far as to call you a whackjob like Zach (#17) did, but he was right on the money when he opined that you’re delusional.
And guess what? If someone doesn’t like gays, that’s OK, because that’s their right. Likewise, blacks, women, Muslims, men, Christians, Jews, Asians, Latinos—no one loves everyone. Even you, Shannon, as your disdain toward heterosexuals is frequently on display here. So don’t make like you’re the saintly lover of all humanity, because you’re obviously not.
Libertarian Larry
Christie 2016!
Queer Supremacist
He had better overturn the ban on gay marriage if it comes to the state Supreme Court.
brent
right is Right according to you we shouldn’t vote for any republican’s because the majority are anti-gay. While according to that logic we can’t vote for anyone who is black or latino since blacks and latinos are as groups anti-gay.