MERI Blog
Updates, news, action alerts and events from Marriage Equality Rhode Island.
Pat Baker, Hero
I had the honor of working alongside Pat Baker in the past few months. MERI put out a statement that I wanted to share as well as some other articles about her passing.
Marriage Equality Rhode Island Board Chair Martha Holt issued the following statement Monday:
“Rhode Island has lost a great champion for civil rights and we have all lost a dear friend. Pat Baker personified courage and demonstrated remarkable strength in her lifetime. Her gentle, determined voice became synonymous with the equality movement, and she demonstrated to all that love truly does make a family.
While she never sought to be hero, Pat most certainly was, and we will miss her terribly. Our thoughts and prayers go out to all her family and friends, especially her wife, Deborah.“
Also, Bob Plain wrote an excellent blog post.
http://www.630wpro.com/article.asp?id=2261731&spid=40611
Here’s the post in the Projo http://newsblog.projo.com/2011/08/gay-rights-advocate-diesready.html
Sen. Whitehouse shares stories from real Rhode Islanders who are negatively affected by DOMA
Earlier today, Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse used his time in the Judiciary Committee to read the stories of real Rhode Islanders who are adversely and unnecessarily impacted by the discriminatory Defense of Marriage Act. For the first time, the committee heard testimony on the Respect for Marriage Act, a bill that would finally repeal DOMA and remove a critical hurdle to thousands of gay and lesbian couples in loving, committed relationships.
We’re fortunate that Sen. Whitehouse and Rep. Cicilline are both co-sponsors of the Respect for Marriage Act, but we have some work to do to get Sen. Reed and Rep. Langevin onboard. After you watch Sen. Whitehouse’s compelling testimony, please take a minute to contact Reed and Langevin and ask them to support this important civil rights bill.
Tell Sen. Reed & Rep. Langevin to support the Respect for Marriage Act
DOMA has got to go.
For roughly 15 years, the so-called Defense of Marriage Act has allowed the Federal government to intentionally discriminate against thousands of Rhode Island couples in loving, committed relationships. It’s wrong, and for the first time, we have a chance to finally bring this punitive law to an end.
Tomorrow, the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee is expected to take testimony on the Respect for Marriage Act, legislation that would repeal DOMA, and remove a critical barrier to gay and lesbian Rhode Islanders who are only seeking equal protection and recognition under the law. I need you to contact Senator Reed and Congressman Langevin, right now, and ask them to support this important civil rights bill.
Senator Whitehouse and Congressman Cicilline are already key co-sponsors to the Respect for Marriage Act, but we need all four members of our delegation to lend their names and voices to the effort to abolish DOMA.
You can make a difference by telling Senator Reed and Congressman Langevin that it’s time to join the majority of Rhode Islanders who support ending the intentional and discriminatory exclusion from marriage.
Thanks again for all that you do.
In Solidarity,
Ray Sullivan
Campaign Director
Working to achieve equal civil marriage rights for same-sex couples, ensuring equal respect, rights and protections for all Rhode Island families.
Marriage Equality Rhode Island
17 Gordon Avenue # 205, Providence, RI 02905 (401) 941-2727
What’s a civil union anyway?
While many of us have mixed feelings about the civil union bill that was recently signed into law, we recognize that it has the potential to provide some rights and benefits to couples in loving, committed relationships. We’re still fighting to pass marriage equality legislation in Rhode Island, but for those who are interested, we’re collecting information about the new civil union law and will pass it along as quickly as we can.
What does a civil union mean to you?
Understandably, many people have questions about how to apply for a civil union, and what types of protections it will provide for your family. MERI and GLAD are putting together a FAQ sheet to answer some common questions. In the meantime, GLAD has a legal hotline and email form where they are fielding questions. http://www.glad.org/rights/infoline-contact
How do you get a civil union?
The Department of Health has put out a FAQ document explaining how to obtain a civil union. Here is the link: http://www.health.ri.gov/publications/frequentlyaskedquestions/CivilUnions.pdf
Here is a list of clergy who can perform a civil union ceremony: (Updated July 8, 2011 at 10:16pm)
Reverend Betsy Aldrich Garland
United Church of Christ
(401) 463-8697
Rev. Gene Dyszlewski
United Church of Christ
(401) 941-2727
Reverend Janet Cooper Nelson
(401) 863-2344
Pastor David Martin
Saint Therese Old Catholic Church
(401) 680-9076
Pastor Jakob Thibault
Holy Paraclete Old Catholic Church
(401) 218-0706
Rhode Island Superior Court: (401) 222-3215
Please also feel free to call the office at any time and we will do our best to answer questions or direct you to the proper resource. (401) 941-2727.
Martha Holt responds to Governor Chafee’s decision to sign the flawed civil union bill
“We are remarkably disappointed in this governor for signing his name to a bill that creates a second class citizenry for thousands of lesbian and gay couples in loving, committed relationships. The injustice of this bill is eloquently captured in the governor’s signing statement, which critiques the bill, particularly for its inclusion of the discriminatory Corvese Amendment. This fundamental unfairness is only magnified by the fact that the governor had to sign this piece of legislation without any fan fare and with next to no one standing beside him.
Make no mistake about it, this bill not only falls short of providing equal rights and protection, but will undoubtedly cause significant harm to same-sex couples in every corner of Rhode Island. This governor had pledged to push for marriage equality legislation and we hope that he will soon return to that commitment and join us in the effort to make it a reality.
While this legislation will provide some rights and benefits to gay and lesbian couples who have been denied them for far too long, only the freedom to marry can guarantee the full measure of recognition and protection that all citizens deserve. We will not stop fighting until the day when all Rhode Islanders are respected and treated equally under the law. We will not stop fighting until marriage equality legislation is finally passed in this state.”
Fundamentally flawed civil union bill passes the RI Senate
Marriage Equality Rhode Island Board Chair Martha Holt issued the following statement today after the Senate’s vote to pass civil union legislation containing the dangerous and discriminatory Corvese Amendment:
“We are extremely disappointed that the Senate brazenly ignored the commonsense objections raised by equality and civil rights leaders here and across the country. This civil union bill contains dangerous and discriminatory language that, without question, will cause significant harm to countless gay and lesbian couples in loving, committed relationships, and we will continue to fight it through whatever means are necessary. Furthermore, we renew our request that the governor veto this hurtful and ill conceived bill. To not do so would be a slap in the face to the gay and lesbian community, and every Rhode Islander who cares about equal rights and protections for all our state’s citizens.”
Contact Governor Chafee’s office at (401) 222-2080.
MERI, National Marriage Groups call on Chafee to Veto Civil Union Bill with Discriminatory Corvese
Marriage Equality Rhode Island joined with prominent national marriage equality advocates to call on Gov. Lincoln Chafee to veto civil union legislation if the State Senate passes it with the controversial and discriminatory Corvese amendment included. The measure is expected to be taken up by the Senate Judiciary Committee tomorrow afternoon.
“The bill put forth by the legislature would create onerous and discriminatory hurdles for same-sex couples that no other state has ever put in place. As a result, we ask you to veto the bill should it come to your desk in its present form,” MERI and nine other civil rights and pro-equality groups wrote in a letter sent today to Chafee. The list of the signers include: MERI, Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders, The Human Rights Campaign, Freedom to Marry, The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund, National Center for Lesbian Rights, The Family Equality Council, as well as The American Civil Liberties Union.
On Monday, 14 legislators penned a similar letter to Chafee, House Speaker Gordon Fox and Senate President Teresa Paiva Weed demanding that the broad and discriminatory Corvese Amendment be removed from the bill.
The Corvese amendment was purported to be about providing additional exemptions and protections to faith organizations, but in reality, it would allow any religiously-affiliated organization, including hospitals, day care centers, schools or cemeteries to openly and intentionally discriminate against civil union spouses. This means that hospitals, like Our Lady of Fatima or St. Joseph’s, could refuse to allow a spouse to visit their dying partner or make medical decisions in an emergency situation.
“By allowing individuals and institutions a free-floating license to discriminate against a whole class of people, in defiance of a general law, this bill represents a huge step backward from both Rhode Island’s longstanding nondiscrimination commitments and the balance and language embraced in the law throughout the country. This amendment could allow individuals, who are legally required to recognize everyone else’s legal commitments, to opt out of doing so only for gay and lesbian people,” the letter said.
For weeks, pro-equality advocates have spoken out on the dangers of the Corvese amendment, with leaders saying that it would be the most broad and discriminatory language to be included in any marriage or civil union bill anywhere in the country.
“This bill cannot be allowed to pass in its current form. If the House and Senate lack the fortitude or political courage to remove this bigoted and hurtful language from the civil union legislation, then the Governor will have no reasonable choice other than to veto the bill,” MERI Board Chair Martha Holt said.
“The Corvese Amendment condones and codifies discrimination, it has the potential to harm thousands of Rhode Islanders in loving, committed relationships, and we are asking the governor do all in his power to prevent it from becoming law” Holt said.
“Rhode Island has always been a beacon of protecting the separation of church and state,” said Marc Solomon, national campaign director for Freedom to Marry. “Unfortunately, the pending Rhode Island legislation flies in the face of that proud history. It adds insult to injury by enshrining civil union, a separate-and-unequal status, in law while granting license to religious organizations and their employees to discriminate against same-sex couples. We know that Rhode Island can do better.”
“The Corvese amendment actually diminishes protections already available under Rhode Island law, and is seriously damaging to Rhode Island’s gay and lesbian families. If it becomes law, there is trouble ahead for Rhode Island’s same-sex couples,” said Karen Loewy, senior staff attorney for Gay and Lesbian Advocates and Defenders.
Legislators oppose Corvese Amendment to Civil Union bill
A significant number of state representatives have formally called on legislative leaders and Governor Lincoln Chafee to work together to remove the “dangerous” and “discriminatory” Corvese amendment to civil union legislation that is awaiting approval in the Senate.
“With the addition of the Corvese amendment, the well-intended civil union bill has been irreparably undermined. This bill legalizes discrimination against the very status and protections it creates, and allows groups with even tenuous connections to religious denominations to ignore very specific laws as they relate to same sex couples,” 14 pro-equality legislators wrote in a letter hand-delivered today to House Speaker Gordon Fox, Senate President Teresa Paiva Weed and Governor Lincoln Chafee today.
The amendment was abruptly added to H6103 when the House took up the bill in May, and received little debate or discussion. It is the most wide-sweeping, broad and discriminatory language that has ever been added to a same sex marriage or civil union bill anywhere in the country. Anti-equality activists, like the National Organization for Marriage, have desperately tried to sneak such language into bills in other states, without success. House Speaker Gordon Fox sanctioned the amendment going forward, and even voted in favor of its passage.
The lawmakers raised several substantive objections to the Corvese language, including the potential for a civil union spouse to be denied the ability to participate in a partner’s medical care during an emergency.
“Specifically, H6103, as amended, would allow any religiously connected entity to ignore the legal import of a civil union for any purpose. It would sanction a civil union spouse being denied the ability to make medical decisions for his or her spouse in a religiously-affiliated hospital or healthcare facility, despite having the legal authority to do so. This could be particularly calamitous in an emergency situation,” the letter states. The pro-equality legislators said they don’t oppose including protections and exemptions for faith groups in the civil union bill, but the Corvese Amendment goes too far.
“We agree that religious institutions should be guarded from having to alter their principles, faith or dogma and we support certain exemptions for faith groups to accomplish that goal. But religiously-affiliated groups should not be shielded from having to follow the law,” they said in the letter.
“If the true intent of this bill is to grant rights to those who have been denied them for far too long, then we cannot give any organization, religious or otherwise, the autonomous authority to single-out and discriminate against a minority class of citizens.”
Marriage Equality Rhode Island Board Chair Martha Holt praised the lawmakers for “having the courage to speak out against such blatant and alarming discrimination.”
“We are grateful to these 14 lawmakers for actively working to correct this corrupted bill. This legislation would cause significant harm to thousands of gay and lesbian Rhode Islanders in loving, committed relationships, and it cannot be allowed to pass in its current form,” Holt said.
“This is not only a dramatic step backward for the gay and lesbian community, it’s an unwarranted slap in the face,” Holt said. She added that the civil rights group would actively be involved in the 2012 Primary and General Elections to “make sure constituents know if their legislators supported discrimination or equality.”
It bares the signatures of 14 members of the House of Representatives, including: Reps. Blazejewski. Valencia, Ajello, Bennett, Ferri, O’Grady, Cimini, Handy, Tanzi, Walsh, Slater, Williams, Diaz and Tomasso.
We’ve got to kill this amendment
The Smith Hill politicians aren’t listening.
They’ve ignored the will of a majority of Rhode Islanders who support marriage equality, and now they’re on the verge of passing a civil union bill that could have a devastating impact on thousands of gay and lesbian couples in loving, committed relationships.
It’s time to take action.
What may have started as a civil union bill with noble intentions, has been irreparably corrupted to include language that intentionally allows private and religiously affliated organizations to discriminate against same sex couples. But these aren’t just any organizations, they’re hospitals, schools and other institutions that receive public funding. Prior to the House adding the Corvese Amendment, MERI was neither for nor against civil unions. Our role has been to exclusively advocate for full marriage rights for all Rhode Islanders. But the Corvese Amendment goes too far. As a result, no matter what you think about civil unions, this bill is not for you.
Don’t let anyone tell you that this is about exempting or protecting faith based institutions. MERI has always supported common-sense religious exemption and protection language, because no government should ever tell any religion what rites or ceremonies it must convey or condone. But at the same time, no religious group should ever be granted the autonomous authority to operate outside the boundaries of the law. They certainly shouldn’t be given a license to discriminate, and that’s what this bill does.
Now, in the final days of the its session, the General Assembly is hoping that you’ve stopped paying attention. Let’s prove them wrong.
I need you to call your state senator this weekend. Make sure they know that you will hold them accountable in the 2012 elections if they support a civil union bill that includes the discriminatory Corvese Amendment. Tell them you want the Corvese Amendment removed from the civil union bill.And it’s time to make sure Governor Chafee hears from us as well. Soon, he’ll have a major role to play in determining whether this legislation becomes law. He needs to hear from you, right now. Make sure his office knows that you don’t support any bill that contains the dangerous Corvese Amendment.
It’s up to all of us to keep fighting. Don’t let the Smith Hill politicians get away with passing a bad bill that will set us back more than it will move us forward.
In Solidarity,
Ray Sullivan
Campaign Director
Marriage Equality Rhode Island
Tell your Representative to vote yes on the Handy amendment
We’re not done yet.
Thanks to the more than 400 supporters who rallied at the State House last week, legislative leaders know we’re not going away quickly or quietly. They know that we’re in this fight for the long haul, and they know we won’t accept anything less than full marriage equality.
Last Tuesday we announced that Rep. Art Handy will introduce an amendment to the civil unions legislation that would grant full marriage rights, recognition and protections to same-sex couples.
I need you to contact your legislator now and ask them to support Rep. Handy’s amendment to the civil union bill. Because separate is never equal, and gay and lesbian couples deserve the respect and protections that only marriage can provide.
There’s a lot you can do to impact this legislative session and move marriage equality forward, but it starts by contacting your representative and encouraging them to vote yes on the Handy amendment.
The civil union bill is being heard this Wednesday in the House Judiciary Committee in Room 313 at the rise (probably around 5:00). Come, raise your voice, make sure our lawmakers know that marriage matters to you and thousands of other pro-equality Rhode Islanders.
I know we’re all still angry about the way this deal was cut, behind closed-doors and without any input from the pro-equality community. But right now, it’s not enough to be angry. I need you to take action and call your state representative.
In solidarity,
Ray Sullivan
Campaign Director, MERI
— recently posted —
MERI lauds Gov. Chafee’s historic move to recognize RI’s same-sex marriages
posted 2 days, 18 hours, 4 minutes ago
— your neighbors —
Frank Ferri of Warwick supports marriage equality. Meet Frank and other real Rhode Islanders in our Friends & Neighbors gallery.
Like us on Facebook
Subscribe to our RSS Feed