Connecticut Civil Union Bill Signed into Law
This afternoon, the Connecticut Senate passed the civil union bill. The bill had previously been passed by the Senate and sent to the House, where an amendment was added defining marriage as “one man and one woman”. The amended bill went back to the Senate for a vote. Today, the Senate passed that bill with the marriage definition amendment intact. It was then sent to Governor Rell.
Just a few minutes ago, it was announced on the news that Governor Rell has signed the bill into law (pictured left). It will take effect on October 1, 2005. Connecticut now becomes the second state to legalize civil unions after Vermont.
I wish I could feel better about this. But, I have to move on. What’s done is done. Someday I think we will have real marriage, and that is the day I will celebrate. I look at it this way, this has given me a taste of what equality would be like - a step in the right direction. The fact that marriage didn’t happen for us this year does not have to ruin everything else in life, nor will it. I am admittedly depressed right now, but like everything else in my life and your lives, we will rise above how we feel.
This afternoon, I received an email from Anne Stanback of Love Makes a Family. I’ll share part of it with you.
Many of you are rightly disappointed by the insulting and discriminatory amendment that was passed by the House last week. In reiterating our exclusion from the institution of marriage at the same time they extended rights and protections, the House made it clear that civil unions are not “marriage by another name” as our opponents like to describe them.
But civil unions, as seen in the context of a step towards marriage, represent progress and for that reason LMF did not oppose the final bill, even with the offensive amendment.
In light of other states who are passing terribly oppressive and mean spirited bills against our community, I am proud that Connecticut has chosen not to do so. This civil union bill faced fierce opposition from religious groups. Still, the Senate, the House, and the Governor rose above that opposition to make this bill into law.
I’m also aware that some of you reading this will view this as a triumph. It is, in a way. I should acknowledge that. As of October 1st, gay couples who sign up for a Civil Union will have 855 state rights that they did not have before. That is a triumph and I would not blame any of you for getting a civil union.
Should Kent and I sign up? I don’t know. The 855 state rights would be nice to have as protection (and would probably carry more legal weight than our legal documents from our attorney) in case something unfortunate happens, but I’ve spent time bashing this bill on principles of fairness and equality. I shot for the moon, and missed. If I sign up, does that make me a hypocrite? Kent thinks it “makes me human, and humans are allowed to change their minds.” That seems so convenient. I am unconvinced, and I hate hypocrites. I would not want to turn into one.
Your thoughts?
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I was curious about Social Security survivor benefits. While Social Security is a Federal program, they claim to defer to states when it comes to definition of a couple. If they will honor a Conneticut civil union that would provide survivro benefits, which is something no lawyer could do. If they do NOT choose to honor the civil union, I don't know what recourse, if any, would be available.
By the way, inheritance is VERY IMPORTANT for tax purposes. I have not heard if the IRS defers to state definition but I seriously doubt it.
Dave
Does anyone know where I can get a list of these 855 state rights?
Dan,
Yes, I'm absolutely sure that the civil union bill would provide protections for us as a couple that our lawyer cannot achieve. Our lawyer specializes in protections for gay couples. She has studied the statutes and has come up with 12 documents that provide the big issues (hospitalization visitation, inheritance, power of attorney, etc.) covered by marriage. But, there is no way that she would be able to encompass all 855 of the legal rights (some of which may never come up for us) that the civil union would cover.
So yes, the civil union would offer more protection. For couples who want to sign up for the civil union, they should still have their lawyer draw up these papers. It's unfortunate, but even with a civil union, there's no guarantee that a hospital would honor that civil union at your word. You would probably need to present a copy of the civil union (carry it around with your other legal papers) to the hospital.
All of this comes down to a huge cultural issue for this country - for people working in hospitals, emergency clinics, police, and other agencies. They are not accustomed to seeing gay couples who are really in solid relationships and, without any legal backing, they really haven't had to deal with them. They have been able to just tell the partner to get lost. Now, at least in Connecticut, they won't be able to do that. But, you will probably have to show them your civil union certificate to prove to them that if they do discriminate against you as a couple, there will be legal consequences to doing that. It's a cultural shift and will take time.
Does this Civil Union provide anything for *you* that you can not achieve with the help of a lawyer?
Marriage, Civil Unions, remaining legally single, all have advantages and disadvantages based on personal circumstances.
Dan
Second best is all we are use too,so we have to settle for it,untill people see us as normal working tax paying humans,it will never get any better,one day maybe people will look at us and see more than "gay"and see us as human,we just want the same thing as straight people have,nothing more.