Candidates for RI gov promise gay marriage support
Associated Press Writer
Published: February 8, 2010
Updated: February 8, 2010
PROVIDENCE—Both Democrats running for governor and former Sen. Lincoln Chafee, an independent candidate, will publicly pledge to sign a gay marriage bill if elected, gay rights activists said Monday.
Attorney General Patrick Lynch and General Treasurer Frank Caprio, the Democrats, and Chafee have been invited to make their promise public at a Statehouse rally scheduled for March 3, said Kathy Kushnir, executive director of Marriage Equality Rhode Island.
Republican John Robitaille has not responded to an invitation from Marriage Equality, and he did not return a call from The Associated Press seeking comment. Robitaille opposes gay marriage but has said he could support domestic partnerships.
Although the three candidates previously have said they support gay marriage, the pledges come as gay rights activists hope to capitalize on the departure of Republican Gov. Don Carcieri, a staunch social conservative who opposes such unions. State law requires him to leave office after finishing his second term early next year.
“I think that it’s really important that the people of Rhode Island understand that this can be a reality here sooner rather than later,“ Kushnir said. “One of the major obstacles we face right now is a veto from the governor’s office, and that would be gone.“
Rhode Island is the only New England state besides Maine that does not recognize gay marriage. The movement to legalize it has hit a plateau. Legislation that would permit gay marriage has died in the Democratic-dominated General Assembly every year without getting a vote since it was first introduced in 1997.
It seems unlikely the state Supreme Court will legalize same-sex marriage as the courts did in Massachusetts and Connecticut. In 2007, Rhode Island’s top court refused to let a lesbian couple married in Massachusetts get divorced in their home state of Rhode Island because the court said lawmakers have never defined marriage as anything except a union between a man and a woman.
Carcieri has not been the only political obstacle to gay marriage. Many socially conservative Democrats also oppose it, including Senate President M. Teresa Paiva-Weed and House Speaker William Murphy, who intends to step down next year.
House Majority Leader Gordon Fox, a gay man who backs same-sex marriage, is seeking to replace Murphy.
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Reader Reactions
first of all, how does tweo men/women affect your life? this has been a buring question on my mind, and I hate to tell you that single parents can adopt in the state of the RI - so if I adopted a child and had a partner what is the issue - people unless you have children in this lifetime you will see that they accept it more than older people - my neice at the age of 9 accepted my life - and BTW LULU she is 26 and in NYC - and if you have children ask them their views cause no matter what Kids can be crule no matter what - but you know what this is not an issue to most in school - Chesapeake - I appreciate your comments, always have and you are right why Fool people - if you all met me I would think you would think I would be accepted - lets just say I hang in “straight” bars and am an honest person
It’s great that the three of them have pledged to sign this bill when it finally comes to the governor’s desk. It would be nice if the Republican candidate (what’s his name?) signed on, but that doesn’t matter. We have had an obstructionist Republican governor for 8 years, and that’s long enough. The sidebar here regarding adoption was begun out of ignorance. You would be surprised how tolerant children and young adults are when they are not taught bigotry by their parents.
A candidate running for ANY office will say Anything to get elected. So, no matter what side of this fence you are on, don’t believe them.
I have great respect for you Mr. Smitty. I do understand what your trying to say to me. I believe that an orphan is already in the minority. I have come to understand the feelings one must have to go to school with other kids who talk about there home life.
I knew such an orphan. He told me how hard it was to listen to how someone went fishing with there dad or how parents go to a sporting event and watch them play. He told me that he would give anything just to have someone remember his birthday. Give anything…..
My father told me once, that his Grandfather who was a farmer in Mississippi told him, that in the 1920’s in Tupelo there was a public hanging. People came from miles around to watch. They came with their children and brought picnic lunches. The blankets were spread out on the lawn in a little town square and people were genuinely looking at this as an exciting event.
In general knowing that makes me think that as a society maybe were getting a little better… I understand that crime is rampant …even heinous crimes, but most people are evolving to a higher level of compassion. Perhaps the only good thing that might be coming out of (and we both have agreed) the constant overkill of whining sympathizers we see on the TV.
I truly believe that the children of yesterday might be underestimating the level of compassion of kids today. Sure there might be some…a few that might be cruel to a situation of Gay parents, but the majority would except his condition with open arms so much that the cruel would be the outcasts.
I think that if Lola knew this boy …his character …his desire to be a part of something …anything …..she would know that two people gay or not gay would be thinking of him and not themselves.
John Lennon……….all you need is love……
You do not need gay parents in order to be made fun of in school. Kids can be cruel, when I was a kid I got made fun of and my parents were straight and married to each other. I also made fun of other kids when I was younger and it was never because their parents were gay. I think that everyone gets made fun of when they are a kid to some extent. Honestly, if a kid doesn’t get made fun of for having gay parents then he/she will get made fun of for something else.
I never really understood why people debate about this so much other than people are ignorant and say and do things without really thinking first. First off, live and let live. Gay marriage being legalized isn’t the end of the world or the end of “traditional marriage”- if there is such a thing anymore. Second, that is the main argument against gay marriage, it will destroy “traditional marriage” and the “sanctity of marriage”. And I am all for people taking marriage seriously, I am married and take my marriage seriously. There are far greater threats to marriage than a couple of gays getting married. More than 50% of married couples get divorced, several people cheat on their spouses, bigamy still exists, and, of course, there are the infamous 5 minute Hollywood marriages.
So I know that it’s only a matter of time before someone posts on here going on and on about the sanctity of marriage and protecting traditional marriage. To me, it would make more sense to fight against the greater threats towards traditional marriage as we know it, if that’s the actual goal here, as opposed to attacking and denying rights to a group of people.
May be at one point in time marriage, in general, was sacred but it’s not anymore and I doubt it ever will be. However, one marriage between two people can still be sacred and have meaning provided that the two people truly love one another, are commited to each other, and are married for the right reasons.
I believe, Cheasapeake, that she is speaking to the same sex couples who either already have children or who adopt children.
Children can be cruel, and someone who is different, no matter how they are different—even if it isn’t the children but the parents who are different—can be in for ridicule and heartbreak.
The fact is that these children will always be ‘in the minority’ as far as their parents go, and as such could be an unwitting target of other children’s animosities.
Dear Lola3
I have posted comments on here for about 8 months now. I’m a High School student. Interested in politics going to Stanford University in the fall. To major in political science.
I have had my disagreements on this post but I have disagreed in a respectful manner. I have been taught to.
Your post…..I’m not angry at it …I’m certainly not a gay person, I am however having a little trouble understanding the ….”think of someone else for a change” as if all gay people only think of themselves……
My Father has always said the worst thing you can call someone is a “fool”. I think it even says that in the bible.
Now I assume that your older than I so it goes against my teachings to say anything disrespectful. However I have come to learn by using this post that there are some of my elders that don’t deserve respect.
Please clarify your statement…because reading your post at face value my thought is right now that you’re the biggest fool I have ever run into on this post.
it is not worth taxpayers arguing over this one, but please, before you adopt kids, think how they will be tortured at school. don’t think of yourself, think of someone else for a change
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