It's finally done! Connecticut now officially is about to go on record legally as approving that same sex couples be allowed to marry. The legislature yesterday passed a bill, that the Governor has said she will sign into law. It's a done deal.

There was a lot of heated debate over the issue, and a lot of untruths were published. I was pleased to see Senator Andrew McDonald fire back about the hateful ads that were being put out by the Catholic Church.

Sen. Andrew McDonald, D-Stamford, a judiciary committee co-chairman, said the advertising has been "riddled with misinformation." He noted the knights and Family Institute ad claimed schools will be forced to teach gay marriage and parents will have no choice in the matter.

McDonald pointed to the section of state education statutes that specifies students, at the written request of a parent or guardian, shall not be required by local or regional boards of education to participate in "family life education programs."

But McDonald, who is gay, said the state should not allow businesses to discriminate against same-sex couples.

"Could Christian caterers say, 'I refuse to cater a Jewish bar mitzvah because I don't believe in Judaism'? Once you hold yourself out to the public to provide goods or services to the public at large, you cannot discriminate," McDonald said. "That has nothing to do with marriage. It has everything to do with discrimination law in place in Connecticut since 1991. You can't discriminate against anybody based on race, religion, ethnicity or sexual orientation." (source)

And this from Sen. McDonald:

"This legislation was built on the shoulders of committed and loving gay and lesbian couples who cared enough to fight for their right to be seen as equals in the eyes of society as it pertains to the institution of marriage,'' McDonald said. "They never deserved anything less, and I don't expect that the people of Connecticut ever wished them anything less." (source)

I'm proud of a few people who must be recognized: Anne Stanback for her unflinching devotion to this issue; Senator Andrew McDonald and Representative Michael Lawlor who made it possible for this bill to see the light of day; the Connecticut Supreme Court for upholding justice and liberty; and finally, all the many many gay couples in our state who stood up to fight for equality, justice, and happiness. We've earned this day!

Here's the news summary from AP...

HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) -- A decade-long battle for marriage equality in Connecticut ended when the General Assembly voted to update the state's marriage laws to conform with a landmark court ruling allowing gay and lesbian couples to tie the knot. [...]

A spokesman for Gov. M. Jodi Rell said she will sign the bill, which passed 28-7 in the Senate and 100-44 in the House of Representatives late Wednesday, into law. While Rell, a Republican, signed the state's 2005 civil unions law, she has said she believes that marriage should be between a man and a woman.

The bill comes six months after the State Supreme Court ruled 4-3 that same-sex couples have the right to wed in Connecticut, rather than accept the civil union law designed to give them the same rights as married couples.

It redefines marriage in Connecticut as the legal union of two people. State law previously defined marriage as the union of a man and a woman.

Even if the bill hadn't passed, same-sex marriage would still be the law in Connecticut because of the court ruling. Proponents say the legislation is needed to phase out civil unions and make sure same-sex couples conform to the state's marriage laws. [...]

Wednesday's bill also strips language from a 1991 state anti-discrimination law that says Connecticut does not condone "homosexuality or bisexuality or any equivalent lifestyle," require the teaching of homosexuality or bisexuality "as an acceptable lifestyle," set quotas for hiring gay workers or authorize recognition of same-sex marriage.

McDonald, who is openly gay, said the language is outdated and offensive to gays, lesbians and bisexuals. (source)