It interpreted a regulation preventing licensees from serving "any known criminals, gangsters, racketeers, swindlers, prostitutes, female impersonators or other persons of ill repute" to revoke the liquor licenses of bars serving a predominantly homosexual customer base. Freedom of assembly įrom its establishment in 1933, the New Jersey Division of Alcoholic Beverage Control regularly harassed LGBT bar patrons. Ciuffini (1978), a state appellate court struck down the state's sodomy laws as unconstitutional, finding that "the individual's right of personal privacy and autonomy prevail over the state's right to regulate private sexual conduct." New Jersey repealed its sodomy law in 1978. In the last court case in this series, State v. Ĭourt decisions in New Jersey gradually restricted the application of sodomy laws to exclude first married couples, and then all heterosexual sexual relations. After reunification and independence, New Jersey abrogated the colonial common law, but created its own statuary sodomy law, the penalties for which were often modified.
Gay bar atlantic city new jersey code#
When the province was divided into East and West Jersey, the Quaker-dominated West maintained a criminal code that was silent on the issue of sodomy. Sodomy was a capital crime in New Jersey from when the Duke of York took control of the province from the Dutch. 2 Recognition of same-sex relationships.Opinion polls have shown very high levels of support for same-sex marriage. New Jersey is frequently referred to as one of the United States' most LGBT-friendly states, with several gay establishments and venues throughout the state, notably in Jersey City, Asbury Park, Maplewood, Atlantic City, Ocean Grove, Edison and Cape May among others. In August 2013, Governor Chris Christie signed a bill into law prohibiting mental health providers from providing so-called " conversion therapy" to LGBT minors. Criminal law deters bias-motivated crimes against LGBT individuals, and New Jersey schools are required to adopt anti-bullying measures that address LGBT students. The New Jersey Law Against Discrimination, amended to include sexual orientation and gender identity in 19, prohibits discrimination in employment, housing, and public accommodations. Anti-gay adoption policies by New Jersey's state welfare agency were dropped in 1997. LGBT people were allowed to gather in drinking establishments in 1967 and allowed to have intimate relationships in 1978.
Gay bar atlantic city new jersey series#
A series of court decisions have enlarged the areas of LGBT rights. Since the late 1960s, state-sanctioned discrimination against LGBT people has become increasingly less acceptable. LGBT persons in New Jersey enjoy strong protections from discrimination, and have had the right to marry since October 21, 2013. Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender ( LGBT) persons in New Jersey have the same rights and responsibilities as heterosexuals. Sexual orientation and gender identity protections ( see below)Ĭivil unions since 2007, Same-sex marriage since 2013 Transgender people allowed to change legal gender