Yesterday on March 30th a CT legislative committee voted in favor of a bill that would update Connecticuts 2005 civil union law, which doesn't give same-sex couples equal status of married heterosexual couples.
Same-sex marriage has been legal in CT since last November when the state Supreme court concluded that same-sex couples have the right to wed in Connecticut.
More after the orange fold including what this bill would do.
Here's some details as to what the bill will accomplish (via HuffPo):
The General Assembly's judiciary committee is considering a bill to remove gender references in current state laws and transform same-sex civil unions into legally recognized marriages as of October 2010. The bill was the subject of a committee hearing Friday.
The measure also would strip language from a 1991 state anti-discrimination law that says Connecticut does not condone gay marriage and will not set quotas for hiring gay workers or encourage teaching in school about same-sex lifestyles. Some lawmakers consider the language outdated and unnecessary.
Of course, CT has its own detractors against the equality movement. (Via local news channel WTNH):
But some see the language as forcing religious groups that rent what are called 'public accommodations,' like banquet halls, to rent their halls for same-sex ceremonies.
"This happened up in Canada; the Knights of Columbus were sued for not wanting to rent their hall to a lesbian couple for their wedding ceremony," said Peter Wolfgang, Family Institute of Connecticut . "Our concern is that religious institutions and individuals not be coerced, not be told either you follow this agenda or it will cost you your livelyhood."
And here's the equality movements response to this tack (also from WTNH):
"If an organization, be it the Knights of Columbus, or anyone else, rents a facility to the public, it is a public accommodation and they can't discriminate. They have the choice not to rent it at all, but if they offer it up to the public, they have to offer it to everyone," said Anne Stanback, of Love Makes A Family.
HuffPo Continues on a much broader issue proving that CT is more than willing to work through these issues in order to preserve the marriage equality that has recently been recognized by CT and its residents:
Some church and conservative group leaders also want lawmakers to let Connecticut justices of the peace and anyone else with religious objections such as wedding photographers or florists refuse to participate in same-sex ceremonies.
"A situation has been created by the (court) decision where state policy seriously conflicts with the religious beliefs of a large number of people within the state," said David Reynolds, a spokesman for the Connecticut Catholic Conference.
The law would exempt clergy from performing same-sex marriages based on their religious beliefs. However, some legislators say justices of the peace are state officials and must perform the ceremonies, since they are legally prohibited from discriminating based on sexual orientation.
Hmmmm, does this remind anyone else of Bush's decision to let people decide to not do their job by providing contraception, or sexual health aid if it's against their religious views? Seems pretty similar to me, things like this need to be stopped. I believe the law is correct by allowing clergy to be exempt from performing same-sex marriages, but in my opinion justices of the peace ARE state workers and MUST do their job as the law requires.
Also, and I know this is easy for me to say since I'm not gay and have not had to deal with anti gay sentiment in this country, but personally I would not want to be part of a religion who won't marry me because they can't honor the love I have for my partner.
State Rep. Beth Bye, D - West Hartford, whose ceremony with her partner, Tracey Wilson, was Connecticut's first same-sex marriage, said the updates to state law are much more than mere procedure.
"Marriage has meaning in our culture, and marriage has meaning in our state and to my family, displaying her marriage license," told fellow lawmakers Friday.
Only Connecticut and Massachusetts have legalized gay marriage, although the unions were legal in California for five months until Prop H8 tore appart happily loving and committed families.
Vermont, New Jersey, California, New Hampshire, Oregon, Washington, and D.C. have laws that either recognize civil unions or domestic partnerships that afford same sex couples similar rights to marriage. Thirty states have gay marriage bans in their constitutions.
So far CT had 2,140 civil unions recorded as of Friday, including 24 since the Oct. 10 Supreme Court decision.
The CT bill still needs to be approved by the CT General Assembly before going into effect.