MERI Friends & Neighbors

Marriage Equality Rhode Island believes that YOUR stories are the strongest tool we have to win equal marriage. MERI Friends & Neighbors is our new initiative to collect photos, statements and stories from across Rhode Island and the country in support of marriage equality.

MERI wants to show the real people behind our cause. Your stories, photos and statements of support provide encouragement to your elected representatives and neighbors alike to take a stand for equality. Everyone who supports equal marriage is invited and encouraged to register via our easy online form. (And check out a sneak peak of our new website, launching in April.)

Register online now »

Current MERI Friends & Neighbors

Greg Lisby & Family

Susan MacNeil and Cassandra Ormiston

Rich Hite

Wedding of Martha Holt

Kim Wallbillich & Family

Gay Marriage Needs a Vote: MERI in the news

From the Opinion page of today’s New York Times:

Gay Marriage Needs a Vote
Same-sex couples deserve full equality under the law, and that includes the right to marry. For the last decade or so, members of the Rhode Island State Legislature have regularly proposed bills to allow same-sex couples to marry only to see the issue die in committee without coming to a vote.

This week, the State Senate Judiciary Committee is expected, once again, to hear testimony on a bill allowing gay marriage; a House committee may do so next month. These will be empty gestures, once again, if the bills go no further. Proponents should redouble their efforts to propel them to the floor of both houses, where a favorable vote could help raise the issue in the national consciousness.

Rhode Island is bounded by the only two states that recognize gay marriage: Connecticut and Massachusetts. In both states, the courts, not the Legislatures, acknowledged the right of same-sex couples to marry.

The Connecticut and Massachusetts Legislatures approved civil unions before the courts took the extra step of providing gay couples with full rights. Advocacy groups like Marriage Equality of Rhode Island are pushing for full rights rather than the separate-but-equal status of civil unions. They argue,correctly, that anything less is unfair.

Read the rest of the piece

OTHER STORIES THIS WEEK
RI lawmakers considering gay marriage bills (Boston.com)
Rhode Island Considers Gay Marriage (Queerty)
Same-sex marriage ad hits airwaves (Providence Journal / projo.com)
The 50 Spot: Same-Sex Marriage Hearings Set for Rhode Island (change.gov)
Rhode Island Gay Marriage Bills Set To Do Battle (OnTop Magazine)
Be heard on marriage equality (hard deadlines blog)

No on 8 Rhode Island Rally in the Media

Yesterday’s rally received a fair bit of local media coverage.

The Providence Journal put us on the front page of today’s paper, and compiled a video.

Our rally was also covered in:
Boston.com
The Boston Herald
The Day (CT)
SeaQWa (Seattle)
Edge Providence

Brown Daily Herald

Eyewitness accounts (that we’ve found so far) appear in:
Portsmouth Blog
Daily Kos
Truth Spew
(If you blogged the rally, please drop your link in the comments and we’ll add it here.)

But we weren’t just rallying in Providence yesterday. We were part of a National Day of Protest that had thousands of participants in every state in the country. The New York Times published an article yesterday and today.

Wanda Sykes came out as a married lesbian at Las Vegas’s rally — After Ellen has the text and audio of her speech.

And participants continue to add video, text and photos to Join The Impact, who lead the national call to action.

Please help us continue to build the movement here in Rhode Island:

Subscribe to this blog’s RSS feed.

Friend Marriage Equality RI on Flickr, and add your photos to our group pool.

You can also friend us on Facebook, and join our Facebook group.

MERI has a ton of things currently in the works, and we look forward to your help and involvement.

Thank you!

attendees at Join the Impact, Rhode Island

Thanks, Rhode Island, for coming out on this windy, rainy Saturday to promote equality at Providence’s No on Prop 8 / Join the Impact rally.

Groups came from Wheaton College, the Warwick Veterans Memorial High School GSA, a huge contingent from Brown University — including GLAAM, and a group from the Rhode Island chapter of NOW.

We were moved by your commitment, stories and support. Today was a success, and we plan on keeping the momentum going here in Rhode Island.

Thank you again,
MERI

P.S.
Photos from the event are posted here — if you have a Flickr account and took pictures at the rally, we’d appreciate it if you’d please add them to our photo pool.

Protests and vigils in California

Marriage Equality Rhode Island is shocked that voters in California, Arizona, Florida and Arkansas decided to deny rights to their fellow gay and lesbian citizens.

The passage of Prop 8 in California resulted in protests and vigils throughout that state. We support those in California who are continuing to take a stand for their rights and we are ready to raise our voices here in Rhode Island.

Join us at Say “I Do” on Friday, Nov. 14 to learn how to reinvigorate the fight here.

In West Hollywood:

In San Francisco:

Hat tip to Good As You, who has more videos.

MERI on Soapbox

Tune in to Cable Access Channel 18 today from 5-6p to hear MERI and MERIEF board members and staff on Soapbox. We will be talking about our upcoming Nov. 14th event, Saying “I Do”, and about the future of the movement for marriage equality in Rhode Island.