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| New Jersey vote backs gay unions | |
| (4 days later) | |
| Lawmakers in New Jersey have voted to legalise same-sex civil unions, giving gay and lesbian couples the same rights as heterosexual couples. | |
| Under the ruling, gay couples would gain benefits like adoption rights and inheritance rights. | Under the ruling, gay couples would gain benefits like adoption rights and inheritance rights. |
| The bill, which passed comfortably in both houses, does not allow for the unions to be called marriages, however. | The bill, which passed comfortably in both houses, does not allow for the unions to be called marriages, however. |
| The governor of the US state, Democrat Jon Corzine, said he would sign the bill into law. | |
| Sixty days after he does this, officials can begin granting the civil unions. | Sixty days after he does this, officials can begin granting the civil unions. |
| The bill came in response to the state's Supreme Court ruling in October that gay couples were entitled to the same rights as heterosexual couples. | The bill came in response to the state's Supreme Court ruling in October that gay couples were entitled to the same rights as heterosexual couples. |
| I'm glad for the progress but not very satisfied Stephen Goldstein Map: Gay marriage in the US | I'm glad for the progress but not very satisfied Stephen Goldstein Map: Gay marriage in the US |
| Gay rights activists said they were pleased with the progress but would continue to push for same sex unions to be recognised as marriage. | Gay rights activists said they were pleased with the progress but would continue to push for same sex unions to be recognised as marriage. |
| "I'm glad for the progress but not very satisfied," said Stephen Goldstein of gay rights group Garden State Equality. | "I'm glad for the progress but not very satisfied," said Stephen Goldstein of gay rights group Garden State Equality. |
| Setbacks | Setbacks |
| Currently, only Massachusetts allows same-sex marriages but several other states have civil union or domestic partnership laws. | Currently, only Massachusetts allows same-sex marriages but several other states have civil union or domestic partnership laws. |
| The New Jersey Supreme Court case was brought by seven gay couples, who claimed that the state's constitution entitled them to marry. | The New Jersey Supreme Court case was brought by seven gay couples, who claimed that the state's constitution entitled them to marry. |
| The court ruled in October that they were entitled to the same rights as heterosexual couples and gave lawmakers six months to review the law. | The court ruled in October that they were entitled to the same rights as heterosexual couples and gave lawmakers six months to review the law. |
| But the court said it could not "find that the right to same-sex marriage is a fundamental right under our constitution". | But the court said it could not "find that the right to same-sex marriage is a fundamental right under our constitution". |
| In July, the top court in Washington state upheld a gay marriage ban. | In July, the top court in Washington state upheld a gay marriage ban. |
| That decision followed a string of setbacks for same-sex marriage advocates in other parts of the US, including in several states where votes were held on amending bans on same-sex unions. | That decision followed a string of setbacks for same-sex marriage advocates in other parts of the US, including in several states where votes were held on amending bans on same-sex unions. |