Just today, U.S. District Court Judge Joseph Tauro ruled that section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) is unconstitutional.

Judge Tauro recognized that for no good reason, DOMA bans legally married gay and lesbian couples and their families from receiving the same federal benefits as all other married couples.

“An end to DOMA would mean I could add my spouse to the family health plan I’m already paying for,” says plaintiff Nancy Gill. “The extra cost of Marcelle’s health insurance is money we could really use in raising our two children. I’m gratified that Judge Tauro understood that, and also saw that it’s not right for the federal government to tell us – and our children – that we aren’t equal.” 
 
Today the Court said firmly that Congress was wrong to pass DOMA in 1996, which basically said that some marriages don’t count. We simply don’t have first and second-class marriages in this country.
 
Although, this will probably not be the end to the struggle for full marriage equality, with a government appeal most likely to come, this is still a day to celebrate and thank the wonderful people at GLAD for continuing to fight for equal rights for all gay, lesbian and transgendered people.

If you can, please try to make some room in your budget and make a generous gift to GLAD today. GLAD continues to fight for all of us and the fight does not come cheap. 

Thanks,

Chris Rich, REALTOR ®
Your Gay Connecticut Real Estate Broker
HomeStyles Real Estate of CT
(203) 768-5222

www.GayConnecticutRealEstate.com
www.FairfieldCountyRealEstate.com

CT Supreme Court rules in favor of gay marriage

Today is a momentous day for equality in Connecticut with the long awaited CT Supreme Court ruling that gay and lesbian couples in the Constitution State deserve marriage. Writing for the majority in the court’s 4 to 3 ruling, Supreme Court Justice Richard N. Palmer stated:

“Interpreting our state constitutional provisions in accordance with firmly established equal protection principles leads inevitably to the conclusion that gay persons are entitled to marry the otherwise qualified same-sex partner of their choice. To decide otherwise would require us to apply one set of constitutional principles to gay persons and another to all others.”

Connecticut becomes the second state in New England and the third in the United States to open the doors to full marriage equality for gay and lesbian couples with today’s ruling on ‘Kerrigan & Mock et al v. Connecticut Department of Public Health’. Supreme courts in Massachusetts and California also have ruled in favor of gay and lesbian couples, concluding the domestic partnerships were unequal to the rights given in heterosexual marriage.

A great amount of gratitude goes out to our friends at GLAD and the eight plaintiff couples who braved the the public spotlight to fight for marriage equality for Connecticut’s thousands of same-sex couples and their children.

The plaintiff couples are:

• Elizabeth Kerrigan and Joanne Mock
• Damaris Navarro and Gloria Searson
• Carol Conklin and Janet Peck
• Geraldine and Suzanne Artis
• Barbara and Robin Levine-Ritterman
• Stephen Davis and Jeffrey Busch
• J.E. Martin and Denise Howard
• John Anderson and Garrett Stack

“I’m just ecstatic. It’s such a relief, the joy of it,” said plaintiff, Jody Mock of West Hartford, who sued with partner Elizabeth Kerrigan. “I can’t believe it. We’re thrilled, we’re absolutely overjoyed. We’re finally going to be able, after 33 years, to get married,” said Janet Peck of Colchester, who was another plaintiff with her partner, Carole Conklin. 

Attorney General Richard Blumenthal said the ruling goes into effect Oct. 28 when it is implemented by action of the of the Superior Court. There will be no appeal, he said.

On a personal note, it is wonderful to think that after almost 19 years with my partner, Anthony, we will finally be able to marry and legally call each other husband and be afforded the same state rights as heterosexual couples! Next step… Federal marriage recognition for gay couples!

Christopher Rich – REALTOR
William Raveis Real Estate
Gay Connecticut Real estate