Community Corner
The Effect of DOMA Ruling on NJ
NJ doesn't recognize same-sex marriages, so the ruling doesn't have much of a legal effect here, but there is a powerful message in the Supreme Court ruling, a Rutgers prof says.
Now that the Supreme Court has ruled the Defense of Marriage Act to be unconstitutional, one question remains: What does this mean for widespread acceptance of same-sex marriage throughout the U.S.
The Supreme Court’s ruling on DOMA is a victory for advocates of same-sex marriage, but it doesn’t change much in New Jersey, which does not recognize nor perform same-sex marriages, according to Suzanne A. Kim, a professor at Rutgers Newark School of Law.
“This is going to have a significant impact in all the states that do recognize same-sex marriages,” she said.
As New Jersey does not recognize same-sex marriage, the direct effects here will be minimal, but it does send a “significant message,” as under DOMA, the federal government did not recognize same-sex marriages, even if individual states did, Kim said.
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How this will affect the national acceptance of same-sex marriages is still unclear, but the effect of this ruling on those couples in affected states will be significant, she said.
Find out what's happening in New Brunswickfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
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