One of the issues that I feel most strongly about is that of marriage equality. It can be perhaps the most defining issue of our times. I am neither gay nor in a gay rights group; I personally have nothing to gain from passage of same-sex marriage. Rather, I see it simply as an issue of fairness toward those who are members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community. New Jersey has been better than most states with their civil union laws; however, it is still not good enough.

I have simply heard too many heartbreaking stories from those who just want their committed, long-term relationships to be recognized with that special word, marriage. Civil unions are a separate word, and despite the good intentions of those who drafted such laws, they can't be seen as equal. There are countless tales of situations where partners could not see each other in the hospital, or even on their dying beds because the state's laws did not see them in the proper light.

Why should it be in the state's authority to decide who can constitute a marriage? I fully understand that some religions may have some heartfelt opposition to same-sex marriage. However, as our founding fathers so carefully crafted, there should be a clear separation between church and state. I am not saying that any particular religion should be forced to perform a wedding that conflicts with their faith; they shouldn't. However, leave that up to each particular religion. As far as the state is concerned, it is purely a civil issue rather than a religious one.

In fact, if New Jersey would like a good model to follow, I would highly suggest that of New Hampshire. In the Granite State, the Legislature passed and Gov. John Lynch signed a bill that did two main things. It gave full marriage rights and obligations to same-sex couples, while putting in a "conscience clause" where any religious group was fully allowed to decline to assist in that wedding, and that clause was even extended to those who would provide other services for the wedding, such as the floral designer, the cake maker, even the DJ. So this legislation gave members of the LGBT community the rights that they should absolutely have, while at the same time making sure that no one would be forced to perform a service that was against their convictions. Sounds like a winwin if I ever heard one.

Right now, the New Jersey Legislature is debating this very important issue. It is a tough issue that each lawmaker has to make a decision on for themselves. Unlike many issues in Trenton, this is not merely a partisan issue, it is more complex than that. Democrats have voted against this bill, while Republican Sen. Bill Baroni voted for it while in committee in the state Senate. I would urge careful consideration of this legislation, as this may very well be one of the, if not the most important piece of legislation that these lawmakers will be involved with during their time in Trenton.

While being humane and just has to be the primary driving force for making same-sex marriage legal, another benefit would be a financial one. During a time when our state faces an $8 billion dollar deficit, think of all the increased revenue both from fees and taxes if we were to legalize same-sex marriage. You would have money from marriage licenses, though the greater revenue would be from tax revenues from people who may very well move to the state, as their state might not be as progressive in terms of gay rights as we are in the Garden State. Again, this can't be a primary reason, but it can surely be a nice economical benefit during these tough financial times.

It is hard to believe as one reads through the history books, that at one point African-Americans were allowed to be slaves or that women were not allowed to vote. It just seems to be against everything that our country stands for. One day we will be thinking the same thing about the times when gay and lesbian people were not given equal rights — this is the time, this is the place to make history and do our part to create a more equitable society.
Steven M. Clayton
Monmouth County
Democratic Committeeman
Ocean Township