Dear Editor:
This past summer, Hoboken’s waterfront was illuminated by the rainbow-colored lights of the Empire State Building when New York passed the most important piece of civil rights legislation in decades — Marriage Equality. While we celebrated this important achievement, we were reminded that New Jersey is still a place where some loving couples aren’t afforded the same rights and privileges under the law as our friends in New York.
While I have joined Democrats in the Legislature to extend same sex couples the same rights as heterosexual couples in New Jersey, we have a very different tone in Trenton these days. No matter what challenges arise, I will continue to fight for equal rights for the LGBT community to be treated equally. Their fight for marriage equality is my fight, too.
It has always been my belief that the government has no place in telling consenting adults who they can or cannot love. I cannot stand for policies that deny fundamental rights to an entire segment of our population. New Jersey must be a place for fairness, acceptance and equality under the law, and I will be working with my colleagues in the legislature to embrace these ideals and support marriage equality.
It is my sincere belief that our leaders in the Legislature, just like in New York, can, and must, work together to get achieve a true victory in the fight for marriage equality. Let’s get marriage equality done now and start giving consenting adults that want to enter into these meaningful relationships that rights they deserve.
Sincerely,
Ruben J. Ramos, Jr.
Assemblyman, 33rd District