MERI Blog
New report characterizes RI’s civil union law as a ‘bust, fiasco’
PROVIDENCE - Marriage Equality Rhode Island Campaign Director Ray Sullivan issued the following statement today after the Rhode Island ACLU released a new report outlining the dramatic shortfalls of the recently passed civil union legislation:
“This report affirms what marriage equality supporters have consistently said: Civil unions, and more specifically Rhode Island’s civil union law, amount to little more than second-class citizenship. It’s no surprise that so few gay and lesbian couples in loving, committed relationships have sought to enter into a civil union.
The overly-broad Corvese amendment, which allows religiously-affiliated hospitals, schools and other institutions to ignore the legal standing of a civil union spouse, is state-sanctioned discrimination, and repealing it will be among our top priorities in the next legislative session.
This flawed civil union legislation has only strengthened MERI’s argument stressing the need to pass marriage equality legislation now, and a majority of Rhode Islanders agree. All Rhode Islanders deserve equal rights, protection and recognition under the law and MERI will continue fighting to make that happen.
We commend the Rhode Island ACLU for its thoughtful and deliberative effort to report on this important civil rights issue,” Sullivan said.
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