New Jersey

NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J. -- A former Rutgers University student accused of bullying his gay roommate, allegedly leading his victim to kill himself, rejected a plea deal on Friday that would have allowed him to avoid a jail sentence. [ Read more → ]

Get ready for a busy holiday season with a slew of activity in the Prop 8 case. Washington and New Jersey ramp up their marriage campaigns, with good news possibly coming before the end of the year. And homosexuals account for half of all murders, according to guy who makes things up. [ Read more → ]

It was a big night for many openly gay and lesbian candidates across the nation, with several races resulting in first-time victories for openly LGBT candidates in several state and local governments. [ Read more → ]

TRENTON, N.J. -- A New Jersey Superior Court judge on Friday ruled that a lawsuit filed by the state's largest LGBT advocacy group, which seeks to force the state to recognize same-sex marriage, can go forward. [ Read more → ]

NEW YORK -- New Jersey's Gov. Chris Christie on Wednesday criticized comments made by a Union Township, N.J. high school teacher who posted an anti-gay rant on Facebook last week. [ Read more → ]

The New Jersey Star-Ledger, in a biting editorial on Sunday, called for the dismissal of Viki Knox, a high school teacher who last week posted a homophobic rant on her Facebook page in response to an LGBT history month display at Union High School in Union Township, N.J. [ Read more → ]

School officials in Union Township, N.J. are investigating claims that a high school teacher who advises a student prayer group posted remarks on her Facebook page critical of LGBT History Month, and described homosexuality as "perverted" and a "sin" that "breeds like cancer." [ Read more → ]

On this day one year ago, Tyler Clementi -- an 18-year-old student at Rutgers University -- jumped to his death from the George Washington bridge after a sexual encounter he had with another man was allegedly streamed online by his roommate. [ Read more → ]

Online review website “Yelp” has removed more than 1,000 negative reviews of a New Jersey bridal shop after it was flooded with comments bashing the shop for refusing to sell a wedding dress to a lesbian bride-to-be. [ Read more → ]

A New Jersey bridal shop has refused to sell a wedding dress to a lesbian bride-to-be, calling the couple's pending nuptials an "illegal action." [ Read more → ]

It's been a busy week, with an incredibly offensive anti-gay brief coming out of Congress. But a surprise announcement from the American Psychological Association could put a stop to such briefs in the future. [ Read more → ]

This week: Rhode Island is getting civil unions, Maine will collect signatures to overturn that state's marriage ban, and seven couples have sued New Jersey to do the same there. The AMA endorsed marriage equality, the NOM won't be allowed to use secret donors in Minnesota, the DOJ sided against DOMA in one case and with DOMA in another. [ Read more → ]

Seven gay and lesbian couples have joined with LGBT advocacy groups Garden State Equality and Lambda Legal on Wednesday in filing suit against the state of New Jersey demanding their partnerships be recognized as marriages, not as civil unions. [ Read more → ]

Appearing on NBC's "Meet the Press" on Sunday, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie reaffirmed his opposition to same-sex marriage, and "that will be the view of our state" -- as long as he is the Governor. [ Read more → ]

New Jersey Senate President Steve Sweeney (D) on Monday apologized in a speech on the Senate floor for casting a vote against marriage equality in January 2010. [ Read more → ]

Molly Wei, one of two former Rutgers University students accused of spying on Tyler Clementi with a webcam just days before he committed suicide, has struck a plea deal to avoid jail time on the condition she testifies against her co-defendant in the case. [ Read more → ]

A federal immigration judge on Friday halted the deportation of Henry Velandia, a Venezuelan native who married U.S. citizen Josh Vandiver in Connecticut last year. [ Read more → ]

MSNBC's Thomas Roberts speaks with Josh Vandiver and Henry Velandia, a binational same-sex couple married last year in Connecticut, where gay marriage is legal. As a result of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), Velandia is facing deportation hearing on May 6. [ Read more → ]

Former New Jersey Gov. Jim McGreevey, who resigned following revelations he was gay and having an extramarital affair with a male staffer, has been denied admission to the priesthood of the Episcopal Church. [ Read more → ]

The roommate of the Rutgers University freshman who committed suicide last year after an intimate encounter with another man was broadcast online, received a 15-count indictment on Wednesday for his alleged actions that led to the death of Tyler Clementi. [ Read more → ]