US President George W. Bush seized on a New Jersey court ruling that may pave the way for same-sex marriage there as a political weapon ahead of November 7 elections. Campaigning for a struggling Republican congressional candidate here, Bush declared: "We believe in family values, we believe values are important, and we believe marriage is a fundamental institution of civilization."
"Yesterday, in New Jersey, we had another activist court issue a ruling that raises doubts about the institution of marriage," he said at the first of two fundraisers he was to attend.
"I believe that marriage is a union between a man and a woman, and I believe it's a sacred institution that is critical to the health of our society and the well-being of families, and it must be defended," he said.
New Jersey's Supreme Court ruled Wednesday that gay couples have the same rights as their heterosexual counterparts, in a decision that could pave the way for same-sex marriages in the state.
The ruling stated that preventing such unions is unconstitutional and gave the state legislature six months to decide whether to amend the current marriage laws or create a new framework for same-sex unions.
"Denying rights and benefits to committed same-sex couples that are statutorily given to their heterosexual counterparts violates the equal protection guarantee" of the constitution, the court said in its ruling.
It said that while it did not find that a fundamental right to same-sex marriage existed in the state, same-sex couples did not enjoy the same rights as their heterosexual counterparts.
"The unequal dispensation of rights and benefits to committed same-sex partners can no longer be tolerated under our state constitution," it added.
"The legislature must either amend the marriage statutes to include same-sex couples or create a parallel statutory structure," it said.
