The Connecticut Supreme Court heard oral arguments Monday in the case of eight gay couples who are unhappy with Connecticut's civil unions law and are seeking full marriage rights. Gay & Lesbian Advocates and Defenders (GLAD) attorney Bennett Klein, representing the couples, argued that the fundamental principles of marriage are not grounded in gender, and by granting secular marriage only to heterosexual couples, the state violated equal protection laws under the Connecticut constitution. The Connecticut Attorney General's office in turn argued that a 2006 Superior Court decision was correct, and that civil unions provide same-sex couples the same benefits and protections as traditional marriages, rejecting the equal protection challenge.

Currently only Massachusetts recognizes full same-sex marriage. Last month, New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer (D) introduced a bill that would legalize gay marriage in that state.