Contact: Deborah Hamilton, 215-815-7716

TRENTON, Oct. 15 /Standard Newswire/ -- Today, Len Deo, president of the New Jersey Family Policy Council, called on same-sex marriage advocates to stop abusing our justice system to advance their agenda.

In what can be called nothing less than a defiance of democracy, lesbian couples in Rhode Island and Oklahoma are trying to use the courts in those states to grant them "divorces," when neither state recognizes same-sex marriages in the first place. In fact, Oklahoma voters chose to keep traditional marriage by a 3-to-1 margin.

According to Deo, this is a large part of why so many Americans continue to support state marriage amendments by such large margins. The magnitude of this issue warrants the people voting on the issue of defining marriage. The New Jersey Family Policy Council believes that New Jersey must let the people decide and let the people vote on keeping marriage between one man and one woman.

Deo states, "Frankly, the majority of Americans, including many who might be persuaded to support same-sex marriage, are not just a little angry over the audacity of same-sex supporters trying to skirt around the democratic process in getting legal recognition for same-sex unions. Americans still believe in the right to vote. It's part of the democratic process, part of what we stand for as Americans."

"If marriage in New Jersey is redefined into almost complete oblivion, which is what same-sex marriage advocates really want, it is going to have a radical impact on every home in our state, which is why every citizen in New Jersey should have the right to vote on this issue."

Deo also says that the Garden State Equality (GSE) group is exaggerating the real numbers of the LGBTI [Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Intersex] community who say they are being denied their rights under New Jersey's civil union law. GSE claims of hundreds of couples being denied those rights conflict with state records, which show only six official complaints have been filed with the New Jersey Commission on Civil Rights.

A statewide marriage rally will be held this Sunday, October 21 in Trenton on the capitol steps from 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. National organizations such as the Family Research Council, Focus on the Family, Knights of Columbus, Alliance Defense Fund, Catholic Vote are supporting this event. Security will be present due to the sensitive nature. For more information, contact Deborah Hamilton at 215-815-7716.