THOUSANDS OF NJ COUPLES REGISTER AS PARTNERS: From the Star-Ledger

Nearly 2,700 couples have registered as domestic partners in the first five months of a New Jersey law that gives added rights and benefits to same-sex couples, the state Health Department reported yesterday.

Through Dec. 15, 2,640 gay couples signed up under New Jersey's Domestic Partnership Act. Another 42 unmarried heterosexual senior citizen couples also registered.

When the law took effect July 10, about 700 couples showed up at town halls to register as domestic partners, which entitles them to make medical decisions for an incapacitated partner, visit each other in the hospital and enjoy other rights on health insurance and inheritance. ...

Goldstein said, however, that many gay couples have not registered as domestic partners because they are waiting to see if the state courts will sanction gay marriage. The latest Census Bureau figures show there are more than 17,000 self-reported gay couples in New Jersey, a figure Goldstein said is low.

"We in the lesbian and gay community believe this is going to be the year that same-sex couples will be able to marry in the state of New Jersey," Goldstein said.

In all, 1,582 lesbian couples and 1,058 male couples registered as domestic partners. ...

The law also allows unmarried, unrelated heterosexual couples who are at least 62 years old to register. Supporters of the bill said they were included because some senior citizens may choose to remain single as a way to pool their income and not affect individual retirement benefits. A total of 42 of these couples registered through Dec. 15.

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posted by Eve at 5:03 PM | link

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