Civil Unions One Step Closer in Connecticut

As many of you know, Connecticut is about to approve a Civil Union bill that would give gay couples most of the benefits of heterosexual married couples at the state level. We would still not be able to file joint state tax returns (since it is not legally a “marriage”), and, of course, the federal government would never honor it.

This will happen assuming that Governor M. Jodi Rell signs off on the bill. It’s still not clear that will happen. She has said that she “supports the concept of civil unions”, but she has also stated that she would really like to have marriage defined as “one man, one woman”, to prevent this civil union bill as being a stepping stone to marriage.

Yesterday, the Senate voted 27 to 9 in favor of legislation to create civil unions for same-sex couples in Connecticut. The Senate also defeated hostile Defense of Marriage (DOMA) amendments by a vote of 23 to 13. If the DOMA had passed, civil unions would be an end product rather than a step towards marriage equality. The DOMA would have defined marriage as “one man, one woman” in state law. There was also an amendment to put the issue on a ballot for the next election. That was also defeated 27 to 9.

What was personally disappointing to me was the fact that my state senator (who has been added to my “People With Issues” album) was one of those who voted for the DOMA, which was defeated. My representative is Senator Tony Guglielmo. Below is the letter I sent him.

April 7, 2005

Senator Tony Guglielmo
100 Stafford Street
Stafford Springs, CT 06076

Dear Senator Giglielmo:

As your constituent, I am writing to express my disappointment in your vote for the discriminatory DOMA. These amendments are unnecessary and unfair to same-sex couples and their families.

My partner and I have been together for 30 years this year. We would like to share the rest of our lives together BEING EQUAL TO YOU. We have endured together when our families and society would have nothing to do with us. In fact, our families at one point completely disowned us for being a couple. My family hasn’t talked to me for twenty years now because of this issue.

Yet, we stayed together through it all. I would dare to say that most of the straight couples I know would have called it quits a long time ago if confronted with the same obstacles we have. We didn’t. Family means a lot to us. Marriage and equality means a lot to us.

Your vote in support of a DOMA for the State of Connecticut is just more of the same kind of discrimination that we have seen all along. We pay first class taxes, yet are given none of the benefits of being a couple. That is unfair, and it is extremely unfair of you to try to make that a permanent fact of life for us.

Right now, I feel nothing but disappointment in you. I will pray that you will find your way and find a way to see that we are all people with the same human needs. We all want equality and fairness.

It is apparent to me that you have no interest in the concept of fairness and equality for all of the citizens of Connecticut.

Sincerely,

Bill Cannon
Coventry, CT 06238