Gay impasse.(same-sex marriage)

NEW YORK, OCTOBER 27

THE New Jersey court has simply brought the gay-marriage issue one step forward in its ineluctable march to the Supreme Court--or to a constitutional amendment.

The New Jersey majority did a very cool thing politically. It reasoned as follows: l) If people are gay, they do not therefore forfeit rights, never mind that these rights were specifically written for non-gays. 2) Therefore, we hereby promulgate the right of marriage for New Jersey gays. Same-sex unions are, effective immediately, to have the identical rights and privileges that are given by New Jersey to man-woman unions, including tax benefits. 3) However, we acknowledge that the word "marriage" attaches by tradition to unions between members of different sexes. That tradition has been respected by the legislature, and therefore the legislature should have the responsibility of remedying the extant disparity. We cede to the legislature 180 days in which to engage this issue. After that, the question may very well come back to the courts to settle.

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There is a ton of interventionist mischief in this ruling. But begin at the beginning.

Legislatures are entitled to concern themselves with social questions. At what age should people be permitted to vote? At what age to claim old-age benefits?

Now, decisions on such questions as these get modified if the petitioner can point to illegal discrimination by lawmakers, either intentional or unintentional. The central question raised three years ago in Massachusetts and adjudicated by the courts had to do with discrimination against gays.