Maplewood was well represented yesterday when a state Senate committee narrowly approved a bill providing for same-sex marriage in New Jersey. The full Senate is expected to vote Thursday

As previously reported, the rector at St. George's Episcopal said from the pulpit Sunday that he planned to go to Trenton in support of the bill.  A number of his parishioners also made the trip - including my wife, Nina Nicholson, and me.

And the Maplewood contingent was not all from St. George's. Another local website posted an extraordinarily articulate prepared statement from the 13-year-old daughter of a local lesbian couple in advance of the hearing. Jessie Petrow-Cohen described the very conventional-sounding life of her busy family, ending her testimony with a plea to pass the law, because "I would really like to be able to dance at my parents' wedding."

There were eight parishioners from St. George's--four gay and four straight.  After a long chilly wait in the morning to get into the Statehouse Annex, we spent an even longer afternoon in various spillover rooms waiting for the hearing, which started late, then listening to audio from the packed committee room.  If I make a similar trip in the future, I'll bring something to read.

Bill Lorentz, a retired deputy attorney general for the state of New Jersey, was at the event with his partner of more than 37 years, Michael Francaviglia, both of whom are long-time St. George's parishioners. Lorentz said he was struck by "the differences in attitude between the pro people and the anti." He made repeated efforts to engage the other side in conversation, with little success. "They were caught up in their anger--I really don't feel that toward them," he said.

Larry Jameson voiced a common theme when he said he was impressed by the turnout--more than 1,000 supporters and opponents attended--and by the organization and dedication of Garden State Equality, which has been lobbying intensely for months in support of this legislation. Jameson, who is straight, said he was motivated to attend after learning about the shortcomings of the existing civil union law. "I feel more enlightened than I did a year ago," he said, after conversations with gay friends at St. George's.

That captures the essence of my feelings as well. While waiting in the cold, GSE representatives approached many of the supporters and asked them to think about what soundbite they would use if they happened to see their legislator in the hallway.  I said "my gay friends deserve the same marital rights that my wife and I enjoy."

The GSE organizing effort was incredible. About 300 people piled into the ballroom of the nearby Marriott at 9 a.m. to sign in, get a T-shirt and be briefed by GSE leader Steve Goldstein about the day's planned events. Blue GSE T-shirts were visible throughout the day, swamping the contingent opposed to the bill, many of whom sported red clothing and buttons that read "One Man, One Woman" and "Let the people vote."  The latter is a reference to the fact that thus far, whenever marriage equality has been put to a vote of the citizens of any state, it has been defeated.  New Jersey has no provision for such a statewide referendum, and several witnesses testified that the basic civil rights of minority groups should not be subject to the whim of the majority.

The New York Times reported today that "some lawmakers said the size and exuberance of the crowd of spectators at the State House was unlike anything they had seen since a fight over banning assault weapons in the early 1990s."

The St. Georgians were wearing GSE-provided stickers reading "LD 27 - Codey," and most supporters had similar stickers indicating their legislative district and senator.  All of Maplewood's legislators - Senator Richard Codey and Assembly members Mila Jasey and John McKeon - are on record supporting marriage equality.

GSE's efficiency played out throughout the day in ways large and small.  Jameson noted that in the small room where he and I both spent much of the day, GSE volunteers came in and handed out drinking water and tissues to anyone on either side who wanted them.

Elaine Bennett of Maplewood and St. George's said that over the course of her 14-year committed relationship, she and her partner Lauren Simonds have had three ceremonies to solemnize their love: first a commitment ceremony that was emotionally powerful but had no legal effect, then a domestic partnership and civil union when those laws took effect in New Jersey.  The latter two ceremonies "meant something legally but not emotionally.  It would be nice to combine all of those qualities into one package, the way straight people do."

The civil union law that took effect in 2007 was intended to provide "civilized" (or, "unionized"?) same-sex couples most of the same rights enjoyed by married couples.  But several witnesses testified about being forbidden to visit a partner in the hospital or to have input into a partner's medical care. 

Bennett said she and Simonds have not personally had such an experience, but "I have to come out every time I go to the doctor," and she sometimes has to explain what a civil union is.  If she could get married, she could simply provide her spouse's contact information.

My wife and I left the Statehouse Annex about 6 p.m., right after testimony in support of the bill by our bishop, the Rt. Rev. Mark M. Beckwith of the Episcopal Diocese of Newark (the northern third of the state), as well as the Rt. Rev. George Councell, the Episcopal bishop for the rest of the state.

Our priest, The Rev. Bernard Poppe of St. George's, said today that after we left, he unexpectedly had an opportunity to testify later in the evening, as part of GSE's effort to involve clergy in lobbying for the bill.

Poppe actually made two round trips between Maplewood and Trenton yesterday - to Trenton in the morning for the rally, back to Maplewood for a meeting that got canceled, then back to Trenton for the later part of the hearing.

Despite giving thousands of sermons and homilies over the years, Poppe said he was nervous when he was suddenly asked to testify. He told the committee that when he officiates at a wedding or civil union, he is very conscious of the fact that he is both formalizing a legal contract and conveying the blessing of the church.  "The joy that I have in blessing every couple is equal," he said.

Petersen is a Maplewood writer who blogs about this topic and others at All That Is Necessary.