Attorney general will not permit gay marriage in Connecticut

Connecticut attorney general Richard Blumenthal announced Monday that Connecticut state law does not allow marriage licenses to be issued to same-sex couples. Connecticut statutes refer to a "bride" and "groom" or a "husband" and "wife," and, according to Blumenthal, these terms are commonly understood to refer to a man and a woman. Blumenthal's statement comes in response to queries from state officials and a letter from Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney questioning if laws in any state permitted gay couples to marry. In his letter to leaders in 49 states, Romney said that out-of-state gay couples would be prohibited from marrying when same-sex marriage became legal in Massachusetts unless the laws in their home state permit the marriages. Blumenthal said it would be up to Romney to decide whether to allow Connecticut couples to marry in Massachusetts. Connecticut's marriage laws have not been reviewed since 1980, when the attorney general's office ruled that state statutes did not specifically define marriage. Blumenthal declined to say whether Connecticut can recognize same-sex marriages from out of state. "An answer would require me to make law, not interpret it," Blumenthal said. "The bottom line here is that the legislature and only the legislature has the authority to grant this authority to same-sex couples." Fairfield County Democrat Diane Farrell, who is running for Congress, was among the local officials who has asked for Blumenthal's opinion. Farrell, who is the first selectwoman in Westport and a justice of the peace, has said she would perform gay marriages if they are deemed legal.