Vermont Legislature Makes Same-Sex Marriage Legal

Today the Vermont state legislature overrode the governor's veto to approve a bill that allows same-sex couples to marry. This makes Vermont the first state to permit same-sex marriage through legislative action rather than through the court system. The bill is called an "Act Relating to Civil Marriage" and the stated purpose is to recognize legal equality in the civil marriage laws and to protect the religious freedom of clergy and religious societies authorized to solemnize civil marriages. Text of the bill is here.



Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat