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.

GET OUT and VOTE – Sept. 9th

Get Out and Vote Tuesday, September 9th

The primary races are on the horizon.

Don’t forget to vote and bring a friend or two.

As often is the case in Rhode Island, there are a number of seats that will be decided in this primary race.

NOW is your chance to support marriage equality and equal rights for all Rhode Islanders.

You can find the specifics of the individual races on:

www.sec.state.ri.us and go to: Find your officials.

Lotsa Local News….

I was surprised to see in yesterday’s ProJo that Superior Court Judge Patricia A. Hurst suggested that – in the wake of the Supreme Court’s ruling that the Family Court cannot grant divorces to same-sex couples – the Family Court Act might be unconstitutional.

“The question yet to be asked is whether the Family Court Act, now having been interpreted by the Supreme Court [in the Chambers and Ormiston case] impermissibly deprives spouses in a same-sex marriage to equal protection of law on account of the coincidence in their gender,” Hurst said. “Assuming the legislature and the executive branch continue to ignore this problem, the question will be whether the Family Court Act is unconstitutional for the reason that it violates state constitutional principles of equal protection.”

What developments arise from this are yet to be seen – I look to legal scholars to help shape court-based strategy – but we are continuing to advocate for equal divorce legislation at the State House this year.

And speaking of the State House – yesterday was Rep. Frank Ferri and Tony Caparco’s 2nd wedding anniversary. Tony told me that it’s odd to be celebrating a second anniversary after more than 25 years together, but they were excited to be recognized on the floor of the House.

And in Washington, Rhode Island Congressman Patrick Kennedy is a founding member of the newly formed LGBT Equality Caucus of the US House of Representatives. The mission of the LGBT Equality Caucus is to achieve the extension of equal rights, the repeal of discriminatory laws, the elimination of hate-motivated violence, and the improved health and well being for all, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity or expression.

“Our nation was built on the principle of equal rights for all people but it has taken many years to bring tolerance to our communities,” said Congressman Kennedy. “Discrimination against any individual because of their sexual orientation or gender identity is simply unacceptable. That’s why I’m so proud to be a founding member of this caucus. The LGBT Equality Caucus will provide a crucial platform in our fight for comprehensive hate crimes legislation, marriage equality and an end to workplace discrimination. At this point in history, we have a unique opportunity to advance the cause of equality,” said Kennedy.

Rep Kennedy has been a strong advocate of LGBT equality for many years, and I was pleased, but not at all surprised, to see that he was a founding member of this new, critical caucus. Keep your eyes peeling in the coming year as they take on efforts to pass a comprehensive Employment Nondiscrimination Act, repeal Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, and take on the monster of the Federal “Defense of Marriage Act”.
Got more news we’re missing? Send it along. And don’t forget Rhode Island Pride is next Saturday. MERI’s still looking for a few volunteers to help staff our table during the daytime Festival, and we always have room for more marchers for the Illuminated Night Parade. Call us at 401-463-5368 x344 if you’re interested.

Oral Arguments in Divorce Case

I had the opportunity this morning to attend the oral arguments in the Chambers v. Ormiston divorce case involving two Rhode Island women, legally married in Massachusetts, who are seeking to divorce in the Rhode Island court. This was an interesting experience for my “amateur lawyer” brain – not least because, although the two attorneys are opposing counsel in the divorce proceedings themselves, they are on the same side for this part. In fact, it seems anyone who bothers with what the law really says, regardless of ideological belief, thinks that the Court is bound to grant jurisdiction on the divorce to the Family Court.

The thing that makes this a simple question is that Rhode Island has a quirky statute that lets folks get divorced in the RI courts even if their marriage is “void or voidable” – in other words, even if it is as if it doesn’t exist within the state borders. So basically, the question as to whether or not this marriage is recognized is irrelevant for access to divorce proceedings – and the Court can just say so, and open the door for the divorce to move ahead, without even looking at Rhode Island public policy on same-sex couples.

So, the million dollar question is, When can we expect a ruling? And the answer ranges from 60 days to sometime next year. We’ll see…..