Same-sex marriage
fight looms in Connecticut courts

Gay activists are preparing for battle in Connecticut, where they will go to the state's superior court on Tuesday to fight for same-sex marriage rights.

Gay and Lesbian Advocates and Defenders, an LGBT legal advocacy group, will argue for the plaintiffs in Kerrigan and Mock v. Department of Public Health, a lawsuit filed in August 2004 on behalf of eight Connecticut couples who sought and were denied marriage licenses. GLAD senior staff attorney Bennett Klein will argue that Connecticut's constitution guarantees equality for all citizens and that by denying gays and lesbians marriage rights, the state is violating its own laws.

"At issue in this case is whether gay and lesbian people in Connecticut can be excluded from making one of the most defining choices of a lifetime: to marry the person they love," Klein said.

The superior court's decision will most likely by reviewed by an appellate court before the case arrives at Connecticut's state supreme court. A decision by the high court could legalize same-sex marriage in the state.

GLAD director of public affairs Carisa Cunningham declined to make predictions regarding the case's outcome. "We know we will get a fair hearing, and we feel we have a strong case," Cunningham told The Advocate.