By Megha Poddar ’15, News Editor

For the first time in the state’s history, on October 21^st at 12:01am, same-sex couples throughout New Jersey eagerly exchanged vows, becoming officially married under the state constitution. New Jersey was the 14^th state to allow queer marriage and the first to do so in the wake of June’s landmark U.S. Supreme Court decision that struck down the Defense of Marriage Act, giving equal legal respect and treatment to same-sex couples. Governor Chris Christie vetoed a same-sex marriage bill last year. However, recently he withdrew an appeal to the state’s Supreme Court and cleared the way for full marriage and legal rights for thousands of same-sex couples in the state.  Despite the state’s acceptance of queer marriage, an ongoing debate between politics and the nature of marriage continues in our smaller community.

In the same vein as the Gay Straight Alliance’s presentation last year, the Newark Academy community has been impacted by this landmark decision, which has the possibility to affect the futures of many at the school. Greta Skagerlind ’14, a member of GSA, describes the case as a “sweet but long overdue victory,” adding “this step taken by the government and by the people of New Jersey will only serve to broaden the minds of our student and faculty body even more.” For the past ten years, the state has struggled with legalizing queer marriage, settling for domestic partnerships in 2004, and then civil unions in 2007. However, this year the court ruled on behalf of the ineligibility of same-sex couples to obtain the same rights as opposite-sex couples, especially in financial and health spheres. After so many years of unequal treatment under the law, Skagerlind, like many others at the Academy, hopes that the legalization of queer marriage helps to continue a positive discussion.

In addition to the impact of the decision upon our community, many have voiced their respective opinions on the situation. Rinat Alelov ’14, President of GSA, asserts her belief, “If you love someone, regardless of his or her gender or sexual orientation, then you should be able to marry that person no matter what.” On the other hand, Mike Gibbons ’15, a member of the Young Republicans club, said, “Personally, I stand by marriage between one man and one woman.” Despite differences of opinion, students have been accepting of the state’s decision.

The state’s legalization of queer marriage also brings forth the crucial question: should politics and LGBTQIA rights be connected? Jai Ghose ’14, President of the Young Republicans club, says, “ [A] government is an institution made to protect the rights of its citizens, so politics are clearly important. Legal definitions of what constitutes marriage are very important in determining the benefits couples can receive.” Ghose brings up the point that the nature of the government is to protect the rights of its citizens, administering benefits to both same-sex and opposite-sex couples.  Skagerlind, on the other hand, believes, “In an ideal world, they would not be connected at all! The idea that, even today in 2013, we have different sets of laws and conditions for people of different sexual orientations is ludicrous to me.” She strongly stands behind the viewpoint that the laws of any state should apply to all of its citizens, ensuring equality across many different spectrums.

All things considered, if there is one thing we can do to continue the conversation of sexual orientation at the Academy, it is to continue being honest with each other as well as open and attentive about the external political sphere surrounding the issue.