Civil union laws don't ensure benefits

NEWARK, N.J., June 30 (UPI) -- Issues of equality in New Jersey may signal problems nationwide for same-sex couples seeking to win equal marital rights, say some gay activists.

More than four months after New Jersey approved same-sex civil unions, some companies are denying gay couples the same spousal benefits as heterosexual married couples, the Washington Post reported Saturday.

Federal rules let companies ignore state laws regarding corporate benefits, said Craig Ross, whose employer of 21 years, a Fortune 500 company, denied his request for joint coverage after he and his partner, Richard Cash, got a civil union license.

"I feel beaten up and deflated," Ross said. "Civil unions aren't giving us the legal rights we hoped for."

As many as one in eight of the 1,092 same-sex couples who registered for civil unions in New Jersey have been denied all or part of the benefits they hoped to gain, said Garden State Equality, a gay advocacy group.

New Jersey -- the first state outside New England to approve civil unions -- is seen as a test in gauging how companies will handle benefits for gay couples, the Post said.