Friday, October 10, 2008

CT Becomes Third State To Legalize Gay Marriage

In a stunning defeat to the religious right and a victory for those that believe in equal rights for all Americans, the Connecticut State Supreme Court ruled to give full rights to gay couples who wish to get married. Obviously the Court used some good common sense and did not allow religious fundamentalists to deny rights to people with a different sexual orientation than themselves.

From The Washington Blade:

"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," the ruling says. "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."

Eight same-sex couples sued, claiming their constitutional rights to equal protection and due process were violated when they were denied marriage licenses.

Connecticut becomes the third state in the nation (following Massachusetts and California) to recognize gay marriages and the right that all people are equal under the law. The State Supreme Court made the right decision today. Of course, this does not mean that the fight for equal rights are over just yet.

Currently in California, a movement spearheaded by the Mormon Church is trying to pass a Constitutional Amendment to ban gay marriages. They have gobs of money and will stop at nothing to sway public opinion and get that proposition to pass. Do not think for one second that they will not try something similar in Connecticut. Help equal rights advocates in California and send a message to these backward bastards that in America, everyone deserves to be equal.