Connecticut Supreme Court OKs Same-Sex Marriage

The Connecticut Supreme Court ruled Friday that the state's same-sex marriage ban violates constitutional guarantees of equal protection under the law, opening the door for same-sex couples to marry in the state.

In Kerrigan v. Commisioner of Public Health, Connecticut's top court ruled 4-3 that the state's "segregation of heterosexual and homosexual couples into separate institutions" of marriage and civil unions "impermissibly discriminates against gay persons on account of their sexual orientation." The case was initiated by eight same-sex couples who had been denied marriage licenses in a Connecticut township. Friday's ruling means that Connecticut joins California and Massachusetts as the only states in the U.S. that allow same-sex couples to marry.

The Hartford Courant reports that Connecticut voters may have the final say on the issue of same-sex marriage in the state: "In Connecticut, a question is on the November ballot on whether to hold a constitutional convention. Supporters want to change the constitution to allow "direct initiatives," which would potentially open the door for anti-gay rights groups to seek a ban on same-sex marriage."

• Read the Decision: Kerrigan v. Commisioner of Public Health [PDF file]
• Dissenting Opinions: Dissent 1 | Dissent 2 | Dissent 3 [PDF files]
• Boston Globe: Connecticut Supreme Court Legalizes Same-Sex Marriage
• Hartford Courant: High Court Grants Gay Marriage Rights
• Connecticut Governor M. Jodi Rell's Statement on the Ruling (Hartford Courant)
• Same-Sex Couples and the Law (FindLaw)
• California's Same-Sex Marriage Ban Rejected (FindLaw's Common Law Blog 5/15/08)