The U.S. state of Connecticut began issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples Wednesday, making it the second state in the nation to permit gay marriage.
Superior Court judge Jonathan Silbert cleared the way for same-sex unions earlier today, just over a week after Californian voters banned gay marriage in their state. Justices of the peace in Connecticut began issuing marriage licenses to gay couples immediately following today's ruling.
The Connecticut Supreme Court ruled last month that same-sex marriage is legal. Voters last week rejected a ballot initiative to ban same-sex marriages in the state.
Same-sex marriages are also legal in Massachusetts.
Gay marriage was legal in California until last week, when voters approved a measure to ban it. Similar bans passed last week in Arizona and Florida.
The social-conservative group Family Institute of Connecticut says it will continue to work to ban gay marriage in the state.
Some information for this report was provided by AP.