A judge based in New Jersey has ordered to allow same sex marriages starting on October 21st. The judge went on to say that current status of civil union systems continued to deny homosexuals the benefits that are available to heterosexual married couples.
Judge Mary Jacobson was the judge who issued this order. She has officially made New Jersey the very first state to lift that gay marriage ban after the Supreme Court's decision to strike down Prop 8.
The judge wrote, "Same-sex couples must be allowed to marry in order to obtain equal protection of the law under the New Jersey constitution."
There has been word that the state would appeal Judge Jacobsen's ruling. However, it has not been clear whether the appeal would say to stop the ruling that was just put in effect.
If Judge Jacobsen's order stands, New Jersey officially becomes the 14th state in the United States to allow gay marriage. Currently, nearby states like the District of Columbia and New York also allow gay unions.
The judge's ruling is a reflection on society's view on gay marriage. In recent polls, there has been increasing public support for gay marriage. This is a huge difference from a mere ten years ago, when no state in the country legalized gay unions.
It was also the same day that the company Exxon Mobil Corp announced that those employed within their company and had same sex spouses would be allowed to apply for company benefits. Their decision was in line with the Supreme Court's ruling in June, that struck down the federal Defense of Marriage Act.
In Illinois, a judge also ruled on Friday that lawsuits which challenged gay civil unions could move ahead, despite several country clerks efforts to have them dismissed.
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