Gay Couple Married in New Jersey; NJ Becomes 14th State to Honor Same-Sex Marriage
New Jersey became the 14th U.S. state to legalize gay marriage, following a Supreme Court ruling that finally allowed same-sex couples to say "I do" in the state.
Newark Mayor Cory Booker opened City Hall doors midnight on Monday to wed same-sex couples in the state for the first time, Reuters reported. Mayors of Red Bank, Jersey City, and Lambertville also officiated ceremonies that night.
Republican governor Chris Christie tried to convince the Supreme Court to postpone its final decision, until it hears New Jersey's appeal to repel gay marriage. Fortunately for same-sex couples in the state, the Supreme Court ruled in their favor.
Booker, who would be leaving the City Hall for a Senate position this month, was thrilled about conducting his first ceremonies. "We have crossed a barrier," he enthused. "While you all have fallen into the love, the truth is the state of New Jersey has risen to love," Reuters quoted the mayor.
Notably, New Jersey gay couples who wish to tie the knot have to wait for three days to get their marriage license approved. However, couples who have already been legally married in one of the 13 states that honors same-sex marriage do not have to wait this long.
USA Today, however, notes that some gay couples and same-sex marriage advocates are a bit disappointed with how things are going, saying New Jersey is still in a state of "limbo." Democratic Senator Ray Lesniak told USA Today that the ruling should have to be "codified into law."
"It's easy for us to say that the Supreme Court's strongly worded and unanimous decision leaves little chance that this decision will be overturned, but by an override we will eliminate any change," he said in the USA Today interview.
USA Today also noted that not a lot has changed since the High Court's decision last week. As of press time, the New Jersey Department of Health's website still lists one of the requirements for a marriage license application to be "of the opposite sex."
CNN.com enumerated the other 13 states that allow same-sex marriage in a report. These states are (ordered alphabetically) California, Connecticut, Delaware, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minesota, New Hampshire, New York, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington, and the District of Columbia.