Did the Supreme Court just legalize Gay Marriage in New Jersey?

[FreeState]

The New Jersey Supreme Court ruled:

"On October 25, 2006, the Supreme Court of New Jersey unanimously ruled in Lewis v. Harris that the "unequal dispensation of rights and benefits to committed same-sex partners can no longer be tolerated under our State Constitution." With the Harris decision, same-sex couples were granted the same rights, benefits and responsibilities as heterosexual couples with respect to their relationships." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Recognition_of_same-sex_unions_in_New_Jersey

With DOMA section three now gone New Jersey's Civil Unions no longer grant the same rights as Marriage in the state because the ruling specifically says the Federal rights are now granted only to those legally married, gay or straight. New Jersey same sex couples can not get the same rights offered to heterosexuals because they are not married.

[RetiredTrotskyite]

1. I'd Like To Know That Myself...

My husband and I are planning to move to NJ year after next and it would be nice if our marriage was legal when we got there.

[Pab Sungenis]

2. Here's what we've set in motion.

On Wednesday afternoon, about three hours after the Windsor decision came down, we filed Amended Tax Returns for 2010 and 2011 to change our filing status for those years to "married, filing jointly." (We got an extension on our 2012 taxes because we were waiting for the decision.)

If the IRS accepts our returns and pays us the $1,500.00 we should have been refunded if we'd been able to use the same tax status Federally as for the State for those two years, then we're going to push forward as if the Windsor decision applies to Civil Unions, too.

If (as I suspect) they reject them, then we bring a lawsuit citing Lewis to force the State to recognize marriage equality and convert our Civil Unions to marriages.

Any other Garden State LGBT*.* couples are welcome to join in the crusade.

[dbackjon]

3. Keep us updated!

And good Luck!!

[dbackjon]

4. I think they did