Rhode Island May Be Next

Now that we've added three more states onto the Equality side of the check list, it looks like more might be following suit.

This morning, Rhode Island state Representative Arthur Handy will introduce legislation allowing gay couples to marry in the state. Handy, a Democrat, said the bill is already drafted, but that he needs Wednesday's second legislative day to gather signatures from co-sponsors, who will include openly gay Democratic House Speaker Gordon Fox.

One of the key hurdles, as always, will be how the bill addresses concerns from religious groups, but Handy promises, as he has promised every single time he's introduced his legislation, that the bill will contain language that grants religious groups protections, if they object to same sex unions as a matter of their religious beliefs.

As it should be, since marriage in this country is a legal, not a religious, institution.

Arthur Handy

The 2011 version of Handy's marriage equality bill stated that every religious institution has "exclusive control over its own religious doctrine, policy, and teachings regarding who may marry within their faith, and on what terms." In addition, it said that "no court or other state or local governmental body, entity, agency or commission shall compel, prevent, or interfere in any way with any religious institution's decisions about marriage eligibility within that particular faith's tradition." And it stated that "ordained clergy, ministers or elders [...] shall not be obligated or otherwise required by law to officiate at any particular civil marriage or religious rite of marriage."

I've said it before, but it bears repeating: if a religious institution objects to same-sex marriage because of some archaic belief, that's their right. But they don't have the right to prevent Americans, adult Americans, from legally marrying the person they love.

Hopefully, Arthur Handy and Rhode Island will follow the path blazed last month by Maryland, Maine and Washington.

And Illinois? You're next.

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Tiny State Takes A Giant Step

In his inaugural speech, newly elected Governor Lincoln Chafee announced that it was time for Rhode Island to enact marriage equality legislation, and the little state that just might, is wasting no time.

Today, Representative Arthur Handy will re-introduce into the Rhode Island House a bill to allow for same-sex nuptials. Cranston has already lined up 27 co-sponsors and was hoping for more, but will introduce the bill no matter what the number in hopes of spurring an early-session hearing and vote on the measure.

Besides Handy, the other lead sponsors include Democratic Representatives Frank Ferri, Edith Ajello, Deborah Deborah Ruggiero, and openly gay House Speaker Gordon Fox, who said, “I would like it done earlier than later, only because later you get into budget issues and your focus sort of changes.”

The bill's chances in the Senate are a bit more uncertain because Senate President M. Teresa Paiva Weed says she is personally opposed to equality. Okay, maybe she didn't say it exactly like that, but that's exactly what she means.

Handy's bill is identical to one he introduced last year, declaring marriage to be a “legal institution recognized by the state in order to promote stable relationships and to protect individuals who are in those relationships.” The bill offers a list of eligibility requirements for two people to marry, regardless of gender, but allows that no one can marry a long list of relatives, including a parent, grandparent, sibling or child of a sibling. And, before the churches gets their robes in a twist, the bill also makes it clear that no religious institution would be required to perform a civil marriage if it conflicted with its teachings.

And, of course, one politico, another Democrat, Jon Brien, promised to reintroduce legislation that would take the decision--which he calls highly personal--out of the hands of the state’s 113 legislators by requiring a public referendum. 

Yes letting the majority vote on denying rights to the minority. That's equality.

Fox opposes such a referendum, calling same-sex marriage a civil-rights issue: “Civil-rights issues should be dealt with in the bodies that were elected to do the work of the people. This is where those decisions should be made."

Here's hoping that Rhode Island takes that giant step.

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