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H/T Ron
Here is a happy note to end the week on: Today, October 1st, 2010, all civil unions already entered into in Connecticut automatically become marriages. The state stopped accepting CU applications on September 30th, so so from now on its the gold standard of marriage for all couples in Connecticut.
This upgrade is the result of the April 23, 2009 passage of “An Act Implementing the Guarantee of Equal Protection Under the Constitution of the State for Same Sex Couples” (Public Act 09-13) by the Connecticut Legislature. The new law was the natural follow-on to GLAD‘s successful win in the Kerrigan & Mock v. Connecticut Dept. of Public Health case where the Connecticut Supreme Court ruled that gay and lesbian couples are entitled to full marriage equality. With the passage of Public Act 09-13, Connecticut does away with the inherently discriminatory part of the former two-tiered system. In other words, once the court ruled that every couple must have the freedom to marry, it was time to retire the civil unions system and put all couples on the level playing field of marriage.
I want to thank Ron, who alerted me to today’s historic event, for illustrating so beautifully on his blog the difference between civil unions and civil marriage with these pictures:
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| Rocco & Ron, Civil Union, October 1st, 2005 | Rocco & Ron Marriage, October 1st, 2010 |
11 Comments
That’s great news!And we sure needed some some good news. And if being married now comes with a nice tan, all the better! =p
And here’s how to ask for a marriage certificate If you already have a civil union certificate in CT, you can send this form and $20 to get your marriage certificate
http://www.ct.gov/dph/LIB/dph/…
my partner of 17 years……became my HUSBAND on thursday, 9/29, in washington, d.c. it was a long and expensive trip from texas, but well worth the wait!
here’s to the day when we look back and smile at the day when this was such a big deal!!!
Congratulationsto you demdave and your partner. Ron and Rocco of course too.
Whoops. I mean husband, not partner. :)
Wonderful news.Congratulations to all the couples who are and will be married in CT.
It gets betterThat is awesome.
A rare slice of good news in this swap of negativity is sincerely refreshing.
Bravo!Congrats on your citizenship upgrade!
So how long will the U.S. have two classes of citizens, two spheres of marriage, a patchwork of localities and states offering different levels of personal union?
But, Where’s Maggie Gallagher?Holy crap, I completely forgot about this! But, where’s Maggie Gallagher of NOM with her rant that, “these aren’t real marriages, and the American people shouldn’t be forced to pretend that they are, or that they’re equal to the union of a man and a woman–that sends the wrong messay, you know!”?
Sue Over Federal DiscriminationWelcome to Connecticut to the ranks of those honoring marriage equality!
I just want to note that the 2010 Vermont Democratic Party Platform contains the following clause (Section D.1.3.):
I was chair of the Platform Committee, and that clause is there because I put it there, and the Committee and the delegates to the Platform Convention agreed and approved its inclusion.
Every state that has legal marriage equality should be pursuing the federal government to remedy discrimination against its legally married citizens.
Thank you Astra Borealis!Thank you for shepherding that item into the VT Dems platform.
Your last sentence is absolutely true: Every state that has legal marriage equality should be pursuing the federal government to remedy discrimination against its legally married citizens.
And I would add: Every state with domestic partnerships or civil unions should pursue marriage equality as a way of sending a clear message to the federal government that they will not condone federal discrimination against their residents. Until states replace CUs and DPs with marriage equality, they are not in a straong position to advocate for their LGBT residents at the federal level.