MERI Blog
Updates, news, action alerts and events from Marriage Equality Rhode Island.
PEAC Coalition Meeting, December 8, 7p.m.
The Providence Equality Action Committee (PEAC) will meet on Tuesday, December 8th, at 7p.m., at Bell Street Chapel, 5 Bell Street, Providence.
Questions contact: .
PEAC Coalition Meeting, November 24, 7p.m.
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The Providence Equality Action Committee (PEAC) will meet on Tuesday, November 24th, at 7p.m., at Bell Street Chapel, 5 Bell Street, Providence.
Questions contact: .
Join the Protest of the Funeral Bill Veto
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Please join like-minded citizens of Rhode Island for a vigil for the Funeral Rights bill that was vetoed by Governor Carcieri. The vigil will take place at the Rhode Island State House on Thursday, November 19th, 2009, at 7:30PM. This is a mourning service, so please wear black to send a clear message to the Governor that his veto of this bill was not acceptable.
Gov. Carcieri on The Colbert Report
Stephen Colbert discusses Gov. Carcieri’s veto of the funeral rights legislation. Click here to watch video.
PEAC Coalition Meeting
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The Providence Equality Action Committee (PEAC) will meet on Tuesday, November 17th, at 7p.m., at Bell Street Chapel, 5 Bell Street, Providence.
Questions contact: .
No Sideways at the Sidebar in November or December
We will NOT be holding our monthly Sideways at the Sidebar event in November or December.
Check back in January for further information.
Lots of fun in the works here at MERI ~ visit often to find out the latest.
Rep. Ferri Responds to the Governor’s Veto: It’s Personal
Dear Governor Carcieri:
I write on behalf of the thousands of LGBT Rhode Islanders who you continue to persecute by governing according to your personal and religious beliefs. Your veto of Senate Bill 0195 and House Bill 5294, which sought to instill a modicum of dignity for all Rhode Islanders at a time of extreme hardship for anyone – the death of a loved one – can only be described as an act of cruelty. The ability to provide for the final wishes of a departed partner is a matter of civil rights, and it is unfortunate you have allowed your religious beliefs to once again cloud your judgment.
I remind you as governor you represent all the people of Rhode Island – not just those who subscribe to the views of the Catholic Church. Your consistent demonizing of the LGBT community will truly be a blemish on your tenure as governor. I think it is also time to remind you of a simple concept the Founding Fathers believed in – the separation of church and state. There have been many in the history of our country and state with deep religious commitment who understood their beliefs should not interfere with the rights of fellow citizens. Rhode Islanders would be far better served if you spent your last year in office governing with this simple, but essential, concept in mind.
To suggest, as you do in your veto message, that a “one year…relationship is not sufficient to establish a serious, lasting bond” between two persons over “traditional” family members is preposterous. It is not your role to judge the significance of relationships or commitments between two individuals. Believing you have a voice in this matter speaks volumes to the level of arrogance you bring to this debate. Certainly, it is beyond the scope of your authority to call into question the level of love, compassion and dedication between two people, regardless of the length of time they have been in a relationship with one another.
The suggestion that your veto is in some way tied to the ongoing discussion of marriage equality is especially disturbing. This bill has no affect whatsoever on the definition of marriage. Instead, it seeks to extend some measure of relief in an incredibly emotional time. Was the pain and suffering endured by Mark S. Goldberg as he attempted to secure the release of the remains of his partner of 17 years any less cruel because they were of the same sex? To suggest all Rhode Islanders should not have the same rights is nothing less than bigotry.
In short, no one elected you to serve as the state’s moral compass. Just as George Wallace stood before the doors of the University of Alabama, you find yourself on the wrong side of history. Your decision yesterday to deny some Rhode Islanders the same rights and dignities as their friends and neighbors is shameful and history will judge you harshly.
Sincerely,
Representative Frank G. Ferri
District 22, Warwick
Gov. Carcieri Vetoes Funeral Planning Bill
R.I. governor vetoes ‘domestic partners’ burial bill
4:05 PM Tue, Nov 10, 2009
Katherine Gregg
PROVIDENCE, R.I.—An opponent of same-sex marriage, Governor Carcieri has vetoed bill that would have added “domestic partners’‘ to the list of people authorized by law to make funeral arrangements for each other.
Read the article and comment.
Garden State Equality Calls for Marriage Equality Vote in New Jersey
Following Tuesday’s narrow rejection of same-sex marriage in Maine, the latest front in the battle over gay rights has moved to New Jersey. The Democrat-controlled legislature in New Jersey, which currently recognizes same-sex couples in civil unions, is under pressure to pass a bill that would authorize gay marriage before Jon Corzine ends his term in mid-January. Corzine, who was unseated in Tuesday’s election, said he would sign such a bill. Read entire article…
CATHOLIC CALL TO END GAY MARRIAGE PING-PONG
Gay-marriage Ping-Pong
ProJo Letter to the Editor
November 9, 2009
Now that Maine has joined California in voting down legalized marriage for homosexual persons, I wish to state my concerns and pledge my prayers for those children, men and women affected. No matter where one stands with regard to this issue the ping-ponging of persons’ lives by signing into law and then voting out same-sex marriage is unconscionable. It is not a “good thing.”
Read entire letter and comment.
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Join us at your STATE HOUSE for a MARRIAGE EQUALITY RALLY Wednesday, March 3rd, 4p
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event details
Date: December 8, 2009
Location: Bell Street Chapel, 5 Bell Street, Providence