A New Jersey judge has turned down a request by the Christie administration to delay a ruling that allows same-sex couples to marry starting on Oct. 21, but that won't stop the legal wrangling over the issue.

Gay Rights Supporters March On Washington For Equality And Marriage Rights
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Gov. Chris Christie , who opposes gay marriage, is now asking an appeals court to issue an emergency block on same-sex marriage until the state Supreme Court can consider the situation.

Even if the justices ultimately rule that gay marriage should not be allowed, Hayley Gorenberg, the deputy legal director of Lambda Legal, said any same-sex couples who are married before then would almost certainly remain married, with the full legal protections of marriage.

She points out in California same-sex marriage was approved, and then blocked by the Supreme Court.  "That didn't mean that the people who had already gotten married somehow lost their marriages.  We do have good precedent and example for these situations where people have at times not been blocked and then been blocked and that did not affect the validity of their marriages," said Gorenberg.

She said if a decision to allow same-sex marriages is made, it "does not seem like one that could hurt anybody.  It would only help those people in New Jersey who could finally have a little more security."

Gorenberg added it's possible there may be a huge number of same-sex couples immediately getting married after Oct. 21.

"Each family will have to decide for themselves obviously," she said, "but I do know that the people that represent, and many people in New Jersey have been very eager."

 

 

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