the list of now

Today.  This is happening TODAY.

According to the Providence Journal:

The drive to legalize gay marriage in Rhode Island will begin anew on Thursday, with the re-introduction in the House of a bill to allow for same-sex nuptials.

In a brief interview on Wednesday, Rep. Arthur Handy, D-Cranston, said he had already lined up 27 co-sponsors and was hoping for more, but would introduce the bill no matter what the number on Thursday in hopes of spurring an early-session hearing and vote on the measure.

!!!

With our new governor, Lincoln Chafee, talking about marriage equality Rhode Island during his Inaugural Address, my hopes were fairly high that we would see some legislation brought up this year.  I seriously didn’t expect it to only take a few days.  I have had no reason to be quite that optimistic before.

And the Projo’s article goes on to say this:

Handy said the bill he will introduce 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.”

It says: “Any person who otherwise meets the eligibility requirements [in law] may marry any other eligible person regardless of gender.”

I just wanted to highlight that wording, because I really like it.  In public debate, the rhetoric has been dominated by people referring to “gay marriage” and “same-sex marriage”, which is not necessarily incorrect, but I like what this does legally.  It is far more appropriate and inclusive to say “regardless of gender” as that can be taken to mean regardless of gender identity as well and won’t form any additional barriers for transgender or genderqueer people.

So this makes me happy.  And now I’m holding my breath for news of a vote.   Hopefully, my next post will be about the passage and implementation.

Now, I just need to stay away from the comments under the article on Projo – two important rules I struggle to follow: Don’t read the comments.  And, if you must – Don’t feed the trolls.   I’m staying in my happy place this time and refusing to devote precious time to needless internet arguments.

This is happening.  It’s just a question of when now.

EDIT:  Forgot to mention you can sign a petition in support of this on Change.Org, where Michael A. Jones has posted a great write-up of what’s going on!

This is a follow-up to my previous post on how the Governor of RI is an Asshat.

The protest was well attended and beautifully planned/designed.  There was no yelling or signs and although I understand how powerful large people in groups with anger can be… this was totally different.   Everyone was there because of the outrage over this veto, but it was peaceful and a little bit somber.  The crowd with the candles lined the walk up to the state house and there was an actual mock funeral procession up the walk and onto the stairs, accompanied by organ funeral music over a PA.  It was very visual and in that way, very powerful.

It’s important to note that this was not a protest planned by a particular organization or a coalition of organizations, as they often are.  This was a few citizens calling up to get a permit, and organizing all their friends and people in their immediate communities to actually DO something instead of sitting around and complaining.   They did it with no budget and within a very short amount of time.   That’s excellent and inspiring.  Proof that we can ALWAYS do something and sometimes that something ends up being very powerful and getting recognized locally by the people who can make changes.

There was coverage by local news.  The Providence Journal:

PROVIDENCE — About 150 protesters lit candles in the dark Thursday night and followed a black casket up the walk to the State House steps.
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Six pallbearers placed the coffin on the white marble steps, a seventh placed a wreath of white roses upon it, and Joe Roch, 29, of Providence turned to address the somber crowd.
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“We’re gathered here tonight out of a mutual sense of anger and frustration at Governor Carcieri’s recent veto of the domestic partners funeral bill” Roch said. He drew applause when he referred to comedian Stephen Colbert’s “shaming” Carcieri on national television.
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Although Carcieri killed the bill, Roch said, “Tonight we present you not with the mangled, defeated corpse of a dream deferred, but with a greater hunger for progress and equality for every man and woman in Rhode Island.”
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Lt. Gov. Elizabeth H. Roberts told those attending the protests that “almost every single member of the House and Senate supported the legislation,” called the governor’s veto “a cruel act” and promised the next session of the General Assembly would overturn the veto.

And on local news network WPRI:

It’s not a secret that Governor Donald Carcieri is a first-class AssHat.  He’s earned that title several times over, but his latest veto is extra extra on the douchenozzle, even for him.

Towleroad sums it up the best:

If you’re gay and you die in Rhode Island your domestic partner won’t be able to make funeral arrangements for you because Governor Donald Carcieri just vetoed a bill providing for that.

Why?

According to Carcieri, “This bill represents a disturbing trend over the past few years of the incremental erosion of the principles surrounding traditional marriage, which is not the preferred way to approach this issue. If the General Assembly believes it would like to address the issue of domestic partnerships, it should place the issue on the ballot and let the people of the state of Rhode Island decide.”

((This makes me so crazy, I don’t even have the WORDS))

I also want to note this bill affects ALL unmarried partners, straight or queer, but it was targeted for veto by the Governor as being part of the so-called larger Gay Agenda.  This bill passed in the RI assembly 63-1, and those are not all people who support same-sex marriage.  I think that several of them just realized that the ONLY reason NOT to pass this law would be to go out of your way to deny fair treatment and make a point about same-sex relationships.

Steven Colbert does a pretty good job commenting on how absurd this is with his own special brand of over-the-top satire:

Those of us in RI who are furious, are attending a  Vigil and Funeral Procession Against the Veto happening tonight at the Statehouse.    I’ve been trying to spread the word this week by word-of-mouth and other mediums, but hadn’t gotten around to posting about it.   So I’m hoping that this is not the first you’ve heard of it, if you are in RI.   (I’m fairly sure all 2 of my local readers are people I speak with often and have already heard).

Everyone else out there, I just wanted you to know this was happening!

I don’t think I should have to tell you that I am deeply sad/frustrated/annoyed by the Prop 8 decision yesterday.  And it’s still biting.  A lot.

So here is a little good news to take some of the edge off.

Google alerts just alerted me to this Providence Journal article regarding a recent poll conducted by Brown University.  Observe the good news bearing results:

The majority of Rhode Islanders support the idea of same-sex marriage in the Ocean State, with 60 percent in favor of gay nuptials and 31 percent opposed, according to a new Brown University poll.
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An even larger percentage –– three quarters of respondents — said they would favor same-sex civil unions.

…

The Brown poll, conducted by the Taubman Center for Public Policy, surveyed 593 registered Rhode Island voters between May 18 and May 20. On the question of gay marriage, the results fell largely on partisan lines, with Democrats generally supporting the legal change and Republicans mostly opposing it.
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More striking were the generational differences. Only 32 percent of voters over the age of 70 said they support same-sex marriage, but among 18-to-29-year-olds, 87 percent voiced support, as did 70 percent of the 30-to-39-year-olds.
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“It’s no surprise,” said Kathy J. Kushnir, executive director of Marriage Equality. “This is exactly who Rhode Islanders are. They support equality and [want] everyone [to have] the same rights and recognition that they have for themselves.”

Word.  Thank you fellow Rhode Islanders.  I am also a little surprised and heartened that 32% of the over-70 crowd in my state even supports gay marriage.  I would have honestly thought it would be less.

Seriously.  It’s TIME.

I mean, it’s actually time for some federal action, but Rhode Island is stupid close to being left behind while the rest of the Northeast attempts to sweep the “race to recognize marriage equality” boardgame.  I have hope that the tide is turning on this issue, sooner rather than later.

(I was going to say something more here about California, but it started with “Dear California Supreme Court” and ended with “douchenozzles”.)

Let’s just dwell the positive tip for now.

Dear Rhode Island,

You are coming in a little late in the game, but now is your time to shine!  Please bring on some action and let all your homestate homos get married.   Massachusetts does.   Connecticut does.   Vermont does.   And now Maine and New Hampshire are getting really close.  You don’t want to be the LAST New England state to get there, do you?   Even Iowa is out there in the midwest, making us proud!

You can do this!  Just because you are the smallest state, doesn’t mean your constitution isn’t as powerful, just or dedicated to recognizing and upholding my basic civil liberties as any other state’s.  Aspire to be like the UK – a country roughly the size of Oregon.  And yet they managed to federally recognize all their citizens’ unions as equal and deserving of validated civil protections under the law.  (While you are taking notes from them, see also: healthcare)

I promise to repay you in tax revenue from my wedding expenses and even more undying love and affection.  Go get’em, Tiger!  I know you won’t let me down.

Love,

Me