Connecticut Begins Same-Sex Civil Unions

Last Saturday (Oct. 1, 2005), was the effective date of the Connecticut law which authorizes individuals of the same gender to enter into a formal civil union.  Same-sex couples, however, are not eligible to marry and opposite-sex couples are not eligible to enter into civil unions.

Connecticut is the first date to authorize a state-sanction same-sex relationship without being ordered by the courts to do so as has been the case in Massachusetts and Vermont.

See Susan Haigh, Conn. to Offer Civil Unions on Oct. 1, Associated Press, Sept. 30, 2005.