Fri. October 10, 2008
Harford, Conn -
The Connecticut Supreme Court has ruled 4-3 to legally allow same-sex marriage, citing that the state's marriage law is unconsitutional because it discriminates against gay people.
This makes Connecticut the nation's third state allowing marriage to same-sex couples, following California and Masssachusetts.
The ruling was based on a lawsuit brought forth by eight same-sex couples who claim that their constitutional rights to equal protection were violated when they were not issued marriage licenses.
This decision overturns a lower court ruling which banned same-sex marriage and ordered that court to find in favor of the plaintiffs.
The ruling stated: "Interpreting our state constitutional provisions in accordance with firmly established equal protection principles leads inevitably to the conclusion that gay persons are entitled to marry the otherwise qualified same sex partner of their choice."
"To decide otherwise would require us to apply one set of constitutional principles to gay persons and another to all others."
"The guarantee of equal protection under the law, and our obligation to uphold that command, forbids us from doing so. In accordance with these state constitutional requirements, same sex couples cannot be denied the freedom to marry."
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