Gay marriages legalised in Connecticut

Dharam Shourie

New York, Oct 11 (PTI) The Connecticut Supreme Court has
ruled that the gay couples have right to marry, thus making it
the third state in the United States after Massachusetts and
California to legalise such marriages.

In a sharply divided four to three ruling, the judges
held that the law limiting marriages to heterosexual couples
and providing another facility of civil unions for gay couples
violated the constitutional guarantees of equal protection
under the law.

While gay couples celebrated the judgement which will be
implemented from October 28, religious and conservative groups
described it outrageous and vowed to work for a constitutional
ban on same sex marriages.

There were hugs and kisses by gay couples who would now
get all rights that heterosexual couples enjoy even as the
opponents looked on with disgust knowing they can do little
about it.

Governor M. Jodi Rell, though disagreed with the
decision, has expressed little hope for it being reversed by
legislative measures or amendment of the state constitution,
saying that such efforts would not succeed.

She said that she does not think it reflects the views of
the majority but she would uphold it as the Supreme Court has
spoken.

In the majority judgement, the Court apparently
considered its decision was aimed at bringing social justice.
For, it recalled discriminatory laws of recent past, including
ban on inter-racial marriages and providing separate public
facilities for blacks.

"Like these once prevalent views, our conventional
understanding of marriage must yield to a more contemporary
appreciation of the rights entitled to constitutional
protection," Justice Richard N. Palmer wrote.

"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," Justice Palmer declared.