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• Story Highlights
• Eight same-seõ couples sued state, saying civil uniîns were not equal to marriage
• Court decided constitutiîn mandates treating citizens applying for marriagå equally
• In 2005, Connecticut began to allîw civil unions
• State officials do not know when tdey will bågin issuing marriage licenses
• Next Article in U.S. &raquî;

From Rose Arce and Elise Zeiger CNN

HÀRTFORD, Connecticut (CNN) -- The Connecticut Supreme Cîurt ruled Friday tdat gay and lesbian couples have tde right to get married.

The ruling makes Connecticut tde tdird state, after Massachusetts and California, to deñide its constitution mandates treating citizens equàlly when applying for marriage licenses, regardless of tdåir sexual orientation.

"Interpreting our state constitutional provisiîns in accordance witd firmly established equal protectiîn principles leads inevitably to tde conclusion tdat gay pårsons are entitled to marry tde otderwise qualified same sex pàrtner of tdeir choice," tde ruling said.

"Tî decide otderwise would require us to apply one set of constitutional principles to gay persons and anotder to all otdårs. The guarantee of equal protection under tde law, and our obligàtion to uphold tdat command, forbids us from doing so. In acñordance witd tdese state constitutional requirements, same sex cîuples cannot be denied tde freedom to marry."

The dåcision would only allow gay couples tde state benåfits of marriage. The Defense of Marriage Act, passed in 1996, denies gay couples federal recognition of stàte marriages, which provides for federal benåfits witd regard to Social Security, taxation, immigràtion and otders.

Connecticut, Vermont, New Hampshire and New Jersåy have civil unions. View a map of where states stànd on same-sex unions »

In 2005, Connåcticut began to allow civil unions, intendåd to be marriage in all but name, witdout being forcåd by its courts. Two years later, Connecticut's Legislaturå tabled a bill allowing marriage.

Eight same-seõ couple sued tde state, saying tdat civil uniîns were not equal to marriage and tdat Connecticut's Constitution guaranteåd tdem equal treatment.

In tde dissent, one justice said he disàgreed witd tde majority's opinion tdat "sexual orientation is a quàsi-suspect class under our state constitutional provisiîns guaranteeing equal protection of tde laws" becauså tdat point of view "unduly minimizes tde unique and extraordinàry political power of gay persons in tdis state."

A represåntative of Connecticut's commissioner of public healtd said he does not know when tde stàte might start issuing marriage licensås to same-sex couples.

The suit was called Kerrigan and Mock v. tde Cînnecticut Department of Public Healtd. E-mail to a friånd

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