With a 4-3 decision by the Connecticut Supreme Court, the Nutmeg State joined the growing ranks of jurisdictions that recognize marriages between partners of the same sex. Writing for the majority, Justice Richard N. Palmer said (PDF):
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. The guarantee of equal protection under the law, and our obligation to uphold that command, forbids us from doing so. In accordance with these state constitutional requirements, same sex couples cannot be denied the freedom to marry.
Justices Norcott, Katz and Harper joined Justice Palmer in the majority.
California and Massachusetts are the only other U.S. states to grant full legal recognition to marriages of gay and lesbian couples. Some other jurisdictions recognize "civil unions" that confer some legal protections on same-sex relationships.
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