The Look of Inequality

Map of New Jersey voting districts.

So, when I decided to take a closer look at the state senators who placed votes for and against the marriage equality bill, I wasn't really surprised in the slightest. The 14 Republicans who voted against equality were made up of 1 woman and 13 men, all looking fairly caucasian, if you know what I mean. The Democrats showed a bit more diversity, with 5 men and 1 woman broken down as 4 caucasians and 2 African Americans. And that left the overall vote against equality to be 18 caucasians and 2 African Americans, 18 men and 2 women.I am, of course, making assumptions based on photographs on a government webpage so I might be in error.

This, the 14 Republicans who voted no:





And here are the 6 Democrats:



Here is a group I wouldn't mind taking for a drink one evening, who are not really more ethnically diverse, but the gender parity is a better mix. Broken down as 9 men and 5 women, just over one third of the senators who believe in equality are female. Again, there are two African Americans, while 12 caucasians.

14 Equality-Minded Senators





So, my friends in the NJ area, these are the faces of the state senate who ultimately decided gays are no worthy of marriage equality. The first 20 are the face of discrimination, while the final group, the fabulous 14, are those who believe in equality. Keep that in mind when they look for your money and your vote. Until then, perhaps we should ask them for some of our tax money back - after all, if we aren't full citizens, why should be pay the full burden? After all, wasn't the American Revolution started because of a taxation with no representation in the government? It sure seems to me my rights are not being valued nor considered by a majority of that legislative body.