November 12, 2009
1 year anniversary of same-sex marriage In Conn.
by Susan Haigh
The Associated Press
Gay and lesbian couples marked the one-year anniversary of the day Connecticut began allowing same-sex marriages, voicing optimism that other states eventually will follow suit despite recent votes in Maine and California where gay marriage rights were shot down.
More than 150 people turned out for the celebration Thursday on the steps of the state Capitol, posing for a group photograph. During a reception afterward, some toasted with glasses of sparkling cider and nibbled on wedding cake.
"Connecticut has thrown open the doors of justice, and our state is now a beacon of fairness and inclusion," said Carol Buckheit, executive director of Love Makes A Family, a group that helped to shepherd the gay marriage issue through the General Assembly for the past decade. The Connecticut Supreme Court, on a 4-3 decision, ruled on Oct. 10, 2008, that same-sex couples have the right to wed in the state.
The legislature in April voted to update the state's marriage laws to conform with the landmark court ruling. Gov. M. Jodi Rell, a Republican, signed the language into law.
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