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BREAKING NEWS

The Connecticut Supreme Court has just ruled 4 to 3 that same-sex couples must have the freedom to marry. Connecticut is now the third U.S. state, after Massachusetts and California, to institute marriage equality.

Statement of Garden State Equality chair Steven Goldstein on the historic decision:

"Today's decision will have an effect on the entire tri-state region of Connecticut, New Jersey and New York, all in the same media market. For the first time, marriage equality is now coming to our very own metropolitan region. Now millions of people all across the tri-state area will see devoted, loving same-sex couples get married, partaking in all the joys and challenges of marriage, with no impact whatsoever on the marriages of opposite-sex couples.

"Today's decision in Connecticut has particular relevance to us in New Jersey. Connecticut has had a civil union statute exactly like New Jersey's. Today, the Connecticut Supreme Court said civil unions do not and cannot provide the equality of real marriage -- that civil unions don't work in the real world and that they don't provide the dignity and respect of marriage either. These are exactly the points we've been making in New Jersey. Today, Connecticut said, civil unions, with all their myriad of problems, are not enough.

"This decision can't help but have enormous persuasive impact on New Jersey, not only because both states have had civil union statutes, but because both states are neighbors in the tri-state region.

"Garden State Equality salutes all the organizations involved in bring marriage equality to Connecticut, including Gay and Lesbian Advocates and Defenders (GLAD), the legal organization serving New England's LGBT communities; and our sister marriage equality organization in Connecticut, Love Makes a Family.

"All of us at Garden State Equality extend to GLAD and Love Makes a Family, and all the other organizations involved, our love and deepest appreciation. They are among the all-time heroes for LGBT America."

Please consider making a contribution to Garden State Equality. For every online contribution you make to Garden State Equality's political committee between now and Election Day, Garden State Equality will contribute half your contribution to the campaign of our sister organization Equality California, to help defeat the Proposition 8 ballot initiative that would eliminate the right of same-sex couples to marry in California.

Contribute now to the Garden State/Golden State Campaign for Marriage Equality by clicking on https://secure.ga4.org/01/gardenstate_goldenstate.

Thank you from all of us at Garden State Equality.

California beats Massachusetts on gay marriage totals

Photo: Los Angeles Times

via -- Jessica Garrison: LA Times

California has married more same-sex couples in three months than Massachusetts has married in three years, according to a new study from UCLA’s Williams Institute for the study of law and sexual orientation.

The study, released today, found that an estimated 11,000 same-sex couples have married in California between June 17, ...