Hours after Newark mayor Cory Booker began officiating same-sex weddings at promptly 12:01 am Monday morning, Governor Chris Christie dropped the legal challenge to New Jersey’s marriage equality ruling.
Last month, Mercer County Superior Court Judge Mary Jacobson ruled that “[s]ame-sex couples must be allowed to marry in order to obtain equal protection of the law under the New Jersey Constitution,” beginning October 21. Jacobson accepted the position of lawyers from gay rights groups that the state was blocking citizens from receiving federal benefits after Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act was ruled unconstitutional back in June.
Christie had (rather half-assedly) appealed the law in lower court in hopes of upholding the state’s ban on gay marriage and/or in hopes of demonstrating his leadership skills to the Grand Old Party (six on one, half dozen the other). However, the State Supreme Court refused to delay Judge Jacobson’s order, forcing Christie to finally give up the gay ghost. The Governor released the following statement (via NBC News):
“Chief Justice Rabner left no ambiguity about the unanimous court’s view on the ultimate decision in this matter when he wrote, ‘same-sex couples who cannot marry are not treated equally under the law today,'” he said in a statement.
“Although the Governor strongly disagrees with the Court substituting its judgment for the constitutional process of the elected branches or a vote of the people, the Court has now spoken clearly as to their view of the New Jersey Constitution and, therefore, same-sex marriage is the law.
“The Governor will do his constitutional duty and ensure his Administration enforces the law as dictated by the New Jersey Supreme Court.”
While not a ringing endorsement, at least if one of Christie’s kids comes out as gay, dad will be able to walk them down the aisle. Or at least, not purposely trip them on their way to the altar.
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.
Dakotahgeo
takes a long time for common sense to penetrate Doughboy’s inner conscience, but then it’s rather simple: Christie, Christopher (R).
andy_d
Get real. He’s still a self-centered, bigoted ass who has proven himself to be just as bad on other progressive issues. He has done NOTHING for the citizens of New Jersey except for his PR jaunt with hurricane Sandy. He’s just trying to save face for the election in November and a possible 2016 bid for the presidency. The man needs to be voted out of office.
Shadeaux
Christie was never against gay marriage. He just did that crap because he is a republican and wanted to stay in good with the party.
jwrappaport
@Shadeaux: I don’t really respect that. People are the sum of their actions, not some metaphysical, inner being. Forgive my argumentum ad Nazium, but Adolf Eichmann is a paradigmatic example of why not to give someone a free pass. There’s much evidence to suggest that he wasn’t a crazy anti-Semite or radical (but rather a humdrum functionary), but at the end of the day, he knew precisely what the word “deportation” meant in his orders and was acutely aware of the fate that awaited those he shipped off to the East. To say he was never in favor of the Final Solution would be absurd in the same way that it is to say Christie was never against gay marriage.
Cam
Christie didn’t stop being anything.
He was handed a crushing loss 7-0 in the NJ supreme Court AND support for gay marriage in NJ is now over 65%.
It was getting to the point where his presidential ambitions weren’t even the point anymore, he has to look at possibly losing the governors race if he didn’t end this.
CaptainFabulous
Newsflash: Courts judge. That’s what they do. It’s the entire reason for their existence. They have made it clear as day that any law forbidding gay marriage passed by the the people or the legislature of NJ would be a violation of the US Constitution, as declared by the Supreme Court of the United States (another group that gets to judge and overrule laws passed by legislatures and/or the people).
So in other words, go fuck yourself Christie. We won and you lost. Gotta sting, but tough shit.
Teleny
@andy_d: you are do right. He’s only beat up some underpaid teachers, posed for the cameras & got his stomach stapled. He is evil. We should NEVER forget our enemies and how hard they worked to deny us human rights.
tareq
14 is my favorite number lol