Civil Unions pass Rhode Island Senate

Timothy Kincaid

June 29th, 2011

NY Times

Less than a week after same-sex marriage was legalized in New York, the Rhode Island State Senate on Wednesday evening approved a bill allowing not marriage, but civil unions for gay couples, despite fierce opposition from gay rights advocates who called the legislation discriminatory.

Governor Chaffee is expected to sign the bill.

Mr. Chafee told reporters on Wednesday that he would probably sign the bill even though he thought the religious protections were overly broad.

“We’re taking incremental steps forward, as other states have,” he said. “We want to get on the path to full equality, and this is a step on the path.”

We will continue our fight for equality. And it appears that the first step will be to get State Senate President, M. Teresa Paiva Weed (D – Jamestown), somehow replaced. She now stands as the single biggest obstacle to civil equality in the state.

Mark F.

June 29th, 2011

“M. Teresa Paiva Weed (D – Jamestown)”

What an appropriate name. Weed, something unwanted you want to get rid of!

Stefan

June 30th, 2011

Weed always said she would bring the bill to a vote in the Senate if the House passed it (I even called her office and this was confirmed). The problem was there weren’t enough representatives willing to step forward and support the issue.

Timothy Kincaid

June 30th, 2011

Thanks, Stefan. Media reports repeat that it is her opposition that was the driving force behind Fox’s change of direction. As usual, politicians are behaving like politicians.

TonyJazz

June 30th, 2011

Not much to celebrate here. Second-class treatment is of little value in the battle for equal rights….

We would have been better served with a veto by the governor…..

Maybe RI can catch up to the rest of New England next year…..

Mark F.

July 1st, 2011

Well, until DOMA is repealed, we are stuck with second class treatment regardless of state marriage laws.

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