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Conn. Becomes 3rd State to OK Gay Marriage
By Nick McMaster
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Posted Oct 10, 08 12:27 PM CDT
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(Newser)
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Connecticut today became the third state to legalize gay marriage, after Massachusetts and California. In a 4-3 ruling, the state supreme court said civil unions are discriminatory because they violate the equal protection clause of the state constitution, the Hartford Courant reports. Although she disagrees, Gov. Jodi Rell said, "The supreme court has spoken."
"Understanding of marriage must yield to a more contemporary appreciation of the rights entitled to constitutional protection," the opinion said. To do otherwise would “require us to apply one set of constitutional principles to gay persons and another to all others." Opponents of gay marriage will now focus on changing the state constitution, which could pave the way to reversing the court's decision.