'All New Jersey families deserve the rights and responsibilities that come with marriage and marriage only,' said HRC President Joe Solmonese.

WASHINGTON - Human Rights Campaign President Joe Solmonese made the following statement today regarding a New Jersey appeals court ruling against marriage rights for same-sex couples:

"All New Jersey families deserve the rights and responsibilities that come with marriage and marriage only. While the ruling today is disappointing, the Supreme Court of New Jersey will have a chance to hear the case. When confronted with the truth - that nobody stands to lose by extending critical protections to same-sex couples - the court should rule on the side of justice. It's also on the side of the people, with a clear majority of New Jersey in support of marriage equality. Plain and simple, it's time for equal protection under the law."

According to a May 2005 Zogby Poll commissioned by Garden State Equality, 55 percent of New Jersey supports the right of gay couples to marry, with only 40 percent opposed. New Jersey opposes a state constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage by nearly 2 to 1, 61 to 33 percent.

Solmonese continued, "The dissent summarized it well when referencing the real consequences of being denied marriage. This has nothing to do with protecting anybody. It only serves to take protections away from families who need them."

The dissent included the following lines, "By prohibiting [the plaintiffs] from a real right to marry, plaintiffs as well as their children suffer real consequences of being 'different.' ﾃ [We] have learned after much pain that 'separate but equal' does not substitute for equal rights. ﾃ For marriage changes who you are. It gives stability, legal protection and recognition by fellow citizens. It provides a unique meaning to everyday life, for legally, personally and spiritually a married person is never really alone. Few would choose life differently."