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Hundreds Form Civil Unions

Most Same-Sex Couples Obtained Recognition Soon After Law Passed

By DANIELA ALTIMARI
Hartford Courant
April 1, 2006

About 700 same-sex couples obtained civil unions in the first four months of a historic state law granting them legal recognition.

According to figures provided by the state, 701 civil union licenses were issued between Oct. 1 and Jan. 31. Municipal clerks have up to six weeks from the last day of the month to present the data to the state Department of Public Health, which compiles the numbers.

The biggest spike happened on or immediately after Oct. 1, when the law took effect. Statistics show 539 civil unions occurred in the first six weeks, with the pace slowing considerably after that.

"You tend to see a lot of pent-up demand in the beginning," said Brad Sears, director of the Williams Institute on Sexual Orientation, Law and Public Policy at UCLA. Vermont, the only other state to offer civil unions, saw a similar pattern, he said.

Connecticut also notched another milestone recently: Its first gay divorce. A Hartford judge presided over the dissolution of the union of two men.

Last April, Gov. M. Jodi Rell signed a bill that led Connecticut to become the first state in the nation to offer legal recognition to same-sex couples without a court mandate. Vermont was under court order to allow civil unions and Massachusetts was also under court order when it allowed gay marriages.

The majority of those entering into Connecticut civil unions were female. The health department reports 416 lesbian couples and 285 male couples obtained civil unions.

The meaning of the numbers is open to debate and people read them differently, depending on their opinion of same-sex relationships.

Peter Wolfgang of the Family Institute of Connecticut said it was a pity to toss aside thousands of years of tradition for the benefit of a small group.

Civil unions "disrupt the common understanding of what marriage is," said Wolfgang, who views such unions as marriage in everything but name. "For such a small number you're going to completely change the definition of what marriage is for all of Connecticut?"

Anne Stanback, president of the gay rights coalition Love Makes a Family, says the civil union numbers are significantly lower than they would have been had the legislature passed a law sanctioning gay marriage. By comparison, more than 3,000 couples were wed in the six weeks following the legalization of gay marriage in Massachusetts, although the population of Massachusetts is roughly twice that of Connecticut.

Stephen Davis and Jeffrey Busch of Wilton are among the Connecticut couples who obtained a civil union. Still, it wasn't much of a celebration: They did it primarily for the benefit of their 3-year-old son, Eli.

They are now among the eight plaintiffs suing for the right to marry. Their case was heard earlier this month in Superior Court in New Haven and a ruling is expected soon.

"You only have one chance to cry at your wedding," Busch said, standing outside the courthouse on the morning of the hearing.

"I didn't want to waste it on a civil union."