A civil union is a legally recognized relationship between members of a same-sex couple, with rights similar to those of a marriage relationship.
In Connecticut, civil unions were a form of legal relationship available to same-sex couples that provided them with rights similar to those of marriage. However, since October 1, 2010, Connecticut no longer issues new civil unions because same-sex marriage became legal in the state. The Connecticut General Assembly passed a law in April 2009 that allowed same-sex marriages and provided the conversion of existing civil unions into marriages if the couple wished to do so. As of now, all couples, regardless of gender, have the right to marry in Connecticut, and those marriages carry with them the full range of legal rights and responsibilities that are afforded to opposite-sex married couples under state and federal law.