New Jersey Is Ready

Here's some really encouraging news.

Our friends at Garden State Equality released a Zogby poll on Tuesday that shows 59% of New Jersey residents support the idea of the legislature changing New Jersey's civil unions law into a marriage equality law.  Only 36% of respondents opposed such a change.

Additionally, when initially asked if they support marriage equality, 50% of respondents said yes they did, and only 42% opposed it.  When a follow-up question asked if the civil unions law is judged inadequate and whether it should be changed to a marriage equality law, 59% said they supported that.  When asked if marriage equality in New Jersey is inevitable, 69% indicated that they think it is, and an astounding 71% said they didn't think any supportive legislators would be harmed by supporting such a law.

More good news in this poll for supporters of trans-inclusive rights according to the press release.

"In one of the poll’s most interesting questions – probably the first time the question has appeared in any poll – a clear majority of New Jerseyans believe insurance companies unfairly discriminate against transgender people by not covering the medical treatments that doctors deem vital to gender transition. 53 percent said this denial by insurance companies is unfair, while only 36 percent said it is fair."

All in all, things are coming up roses in the Garden State!

It will be interesting to encourage Equality Virginia to complete such polling in the Old Dominion, particularly since Virginia is being heavily polled in 2008 for the Presidential race.  It might be more economical to poll this year.

Previous polls released covering the issue in Virginia have been less favorable to the idea of marriage, but recently support had been as high as 57% for people who supported marriage or civil unions.