On December 14, 2006, the New Jersey legislature passed two bills which will help to ensure equal civil rights and liberties for its gay and lesbian residents, and also afford employment protections for any citizen with non-traditional gender identification.

The first bill, creating "civil unions" for gay and lesbian couples, providing rights identical to couples who marry, was in response to an earlier New Jersey Supreme Court ruling.

The second piece of legislation bars discrimination in employment based on gender identity or form of expression.

Both bills were passed by overwhelming majorities, the vote to approve civil unions was passed with a 56-19 majority in the Assembly and 23-12 in the Senate. Governor Jon Corzine, a Democrat, is expected to sign the legislation, making is the law of New Jersey.

The second bill was passed with a 69-5 majority in the Assembly and by a 31-5 margin in the Senate. Governor Corzine is also expected to sign this legislation into law.

There are seven other states, plus the District of Columbia, which already protect workers from discrimination based on gender identity.  The states are California, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Minnesota, New Mexico, and Rhode Island.