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MOUNT LAUREL, N.J. (AP) - At least 219 gay couples applied to join in civil unions during the first month the legal institution was available in New Jersey, a state agency said in a report issued Tuesday.
Civil unions offer gay couples the legal benefits of marriage — but not the title. New Jersey lawmakers created the institution last December in response to a state Supreme Court ruling two months earlier that said it was unconstitutional to deny gay couples access to the protections of marriage.
New Jersey's civil unions law took effect Feb. 19. The data reported Tuesday by the state Health and Senior Services Department covers the period from then until March 19. The data may not be complete, since some counties might not have yet submitted their records and some couples may have applied for licenses but have not yet joined.
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