Garden State Equality is New Jersey’s largest advocacy organization. Since Garden State Equality's founding in 2004, New Jersey has enacted 210 laws at the state, county and municipal levels to advance the rights of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community. That's more LGBT civil rights laws enacted in less time than in any other U.S. state – ever. A 2009 year-end study by www.eQualityGiving.com ranks New Jersey as #1 in the United States for LGBT civil rights, tied with California, Iowa and Vermont. In 2008, Garden State Equality became the first statewide civil rights organization in America to be showcased in an Academy Award®-winning film. "Garden State Equality has run the most effective grassroots campaign New Jersey has seen in years," the Star-Ledger has written. Next we will win a marriage equality statute to replace our state's failed civil union law. So welcome to Garden State Equality, a movement making history. We're glad you're here.
Garden State Equality has begun airing two radio ads for marriage equality throughout New Jersey.
One radio ad, “In New Jersey,” anticipates and refutes some of the arguments the opposition has made in its advertising in other states. Click here to listen to “In New Jersey.”
The other radio ad, “Marsha and Louise,” is the radio version of one of our current television ads. Click here to listen to “Marsha and Louise.”
Marsha and Louise are a New Jersey couple who have raised two disabled children. As one of the children was dying, Marsha and Louise struggled with prospective employers who would not recognize the couple's civil union and provide the equal health benefits their family desperately needed at a time of crisis.
Man: Can you believe what’s happening in New Jersey? Hospitals won’t let some people visit sick loved ones. And some employers won’t give health care to couples who aren’t married. It’s terrible! Civil unions aren’t good enough.
Woman: I don’t understand why New Jersey doesn’t let all couples… just… marry. When two people marry, it doesn’t affect our marriage.
Man: Wait – no health care?! In this economy?! Because people can’t marry?! That ain’t fair.
Woman: And neither are the phony arguments against equality. What does anyone’s marriage have to do with curriculum? New Jersey law already lets parents control what’s taught in school.
Man: We need to focus on the economy… jobs… lowering taxes. You know what? Straight, gay… let people get married. Have equal health care. And share the American dream.
Woman: Paid for by Garden State Equality. We believe in equality for everyone.
Announcer: New Jersey parents. New Jersey heroes. Marsha and Louise.
Louise: We’ve had to deal with raising four children, two of whom had significant handicaps. They could not be without health insurance. When I was looking for jobs, I had to ask the question, “Do you have civil union benefits?” Many looked at me as if I had two heads.
Announcer: New Jersey’s civil union law failed Marsha, Louise and their children.
Marsha: That put us in quite a bit of debt in order to meet their special needs. One of our children had significant medical complications… and he passed in July.
Louise: We’ve been together for 20 years, in circumstances in which most people would have separated or divorced. I don’t know what a marriage is, if it is not what we have, and I want that legal recognition.
Announcer: Give Marsha and Louise the freedom to marry. It won’t affect your marriage, but it will mean everything to them. Paid for by Garden State Equality.
