paved the way for integration and the civil rights movement.

On October 10, 2008, Connecticut's Supreme Court ruled that gay couples have the right to marry, making the state the third behind Massachusetts and California to legalize such unions. The text of that historic decision is available by clicking here.

As the the rights of LGBT persons to marry one another continues to move forward in the United States it is important to recognize other nations have granted that right to their citizens. they include:

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	Marriage v Civil Unions - Separate and Unequal
	Students of history are well aware of the fallacy and consequences of the doctrine of Separate but Equal. The concept was struck down in 1954 that by the US Supreme Court which he ruled that that 'separate educational facilities were inherently unequal". As a result, de jure racial segregation was ruled a violation of the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment of the United States Constitution. This victory paved the way for integration and the civil rights movement. On October 10, 2008, Connecticut's Supreme Court ruled that gay couples have the right to marry, making the state the third behind Massachusetts and California to legalize such unions. The text of that historic decision is available by clicking here. As the the rights of LGBT persons to marry one another continues to move forward in the United States it is important to recognize other nations have granted that right to their citizens. they include: Netherlands - The first country to grant gay marriage in 2001. Belgium - The second nation to legalize same-sex marriage in 2003. Canada - In June of 2005, the Canadian Parliament enacted a law allowing legal marriage for same-sex couples. Spain - Spain became the fourth nation to allow gay marriage on June 29, 2005. South Africa - South Africa became the fifth nation to recognize gay marriage in 2005. Norway - Became the sixth country to legalize same-sex marriage on May 11, 2008. US states that recognize gay marriage: Massachusetts - On May 17, 2004 Massachusetts became the first U.S. state to legalize same-sex marriage. The State of Massachusetts also issues licenses to gay couples from New Mexico and Rhode Island since neither state explicitly prohibits same-sex marriage California - On May 15, 2008, California's Supreme Court ruled that banning same-sex marriage in the state was discriminatory. Connecticut - In a 4 to 3 decision, the Connecticut Supreme Court overturned the state's ban on same-sex marriage, making it the third state to allow legal gay marriage. New Jersey -* New Jersey is the third U.S. state to offer same-sex civil unions behind Vermont and Connecticut. The new same-sex civil unions law, which goes into affect on February 19, 2007, grants gay and lesbian couples the same rights as marriage. (Although same-sex unions in New Jersey are classified as civil unions, couples are granted the same rights as married heterosexual couples.) New York* - Note: By a May 29, 2008 directive, New York only recognizes gay marriages from couples legally married outside of the state.