A same-sex, New Jersey couple was among the first to take part in a civil union ceremony Thursday after the state previously made the practice legal.

Well wishers packed an Asbury Park tavern as the mayor joined Thomas Mannix and Kevin Pilla. The couple had to wait 72 hours, as required by law, after filing the proper paperwork. Pilla and Mannix say the ceremony reinforces their 24-year commitment, and they say it's a milestone they never thought they would experience.Steven Goldstein, of the Garden State Equality group, says civil unions still fall short. He likens the ceremonies to moving from the back of the bus to the middle, but Goldstein says he wants to sit at the front with heterosexuals.

Goldstein and his partner were the first couple joined in a civil union in New Jersey when the law took effect Monday, February 19. They were able to bypass the waiting period because they were previously joined in Vermont. Goldstein and other advocates plan to keep fighting for the right to marry.Related Information: