TRENTON, N.J., July 10 (UPI) -- Hundreds of gay and lesbian couples prepared to register as domestic partners in New Jersey Saturday, the first day of a new state law regarding same-sex couples.
The Garden State is the fifth in the United States to extend benefits to couples who register as domestic partners, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported.
Town clerk's offices across the Garden State open specifically Saturday to extend to gay and lesbian couples some of the same rights as heterosexuals who have chosen to become formally married.
The state's same-sex marriage debate gained visibility in March when the city of Asbury Park married one gay couple and accepted marriage license applications from several others.
When the state stepped in to halt the ceremonies, the governor reminded same-sex couples they could soon receive benefits under the state's domestic partnership law, which he signed in January.
