Sex columnist and gay rights advocate Dan Savage said Monday that it was wrong for New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie to claim that same sex marriage should be voted on in a statewide referendum.

“The American people are sometimes so consistently wrong when it comes to civil rights issues that when everyone is in agreement about one thing, we should take a closer look at it,” he said during an appearance on Countdown with Keith Olbermann. “This is that thing.”

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The New Jersey Senate approved a bill on Monday that would extend the right to marry to same sex couples. Lawmakers in the state Assembly are expected to approve the bill later this week by a narrow margin.

But Christie has pledged to veto the bill. Instead, he has called for the New Jersey legislature to draft a constitutional amendment and put the issue to a statewide vote.

Savage said people like Christie were the ones “in the awkward position now.”

“It used to be us, gays and lesbians people, gay and lesbian couples, excluded from full civil equality, we were the ones who felt marginalized, where increasingly it is the bigots who are,” he added.

According to a Quinnipiac poll released in January, 52 percent of New Jerseyans believe same sex couples should have the right to marry.

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