A step forward for Rhode Island

This past Saturday, Rhode Island became the 5th state in the nation to offer its gay and lesbians citizens the right to marry enter into a civil union.

The state actually looked like a done deal to add to the marriage column after the departure of its homophobe former governor and the election of pro-gay, Independent Lincoln Chafee.  But then the hateful bigots we know so well derailed that legislation and the civil union bill was adopted instead as the best compromise available:

Rhode Island Governor Lincoln Chafee today signed his state's recently passed civil unions legislation into law.

Though the governor said that civil unions are still insufficient when compared to full marriage rights, the new law "brings tangible rights and benefits to thousands of Rhode Islanders."

He continued, "[the law] provides a foundation from which we will continue to fight for full marriage equality.”

With Chafee's signature, Rhode Island becomes the fifth state in the nation to support civil unions.

While I see this bill as a good first step in the right direction, not everyone’s happy, and gay advocates vowed to keep on fighting until we have full marriage equality in the Ocean State:

Civil unions may now be the law in Rhode Island, but groups on both sides of the gay marriage debate plan to press on in their fight in the General Assembly and on the campaign trail.

Marriage Equality Rhode Island is already planning to push gay marriage legislation in next year’s legislative session, according to Ray Sullivan, the group’s campaign director. Sullivan said MERI will also work to elect candidates who support same-sex marriage in next year’s General Assembly races.

“If they (lawmakers who opposed gay marriage) thought we would quietly go away, nothing could be further from the truth,’’ Sullivan told The Associated Press on Tuesday. “The fight for marriage goes on.’’

[…]

Civil unions were pitched as a political compromise after legislation that would have authorized gay marriage stalled.

Many gay marriage supporters criticized civil unions as discriminatory. In particular, MERI opposed language in the new law that allows religious hospitals, cemeteries and schools to refuse to recognize the rights granted through civil unions. Sullivan said his group will urge lawmakers to repeal the religious exemption.

[…]

Groups on the other side of the debate aren’t going away either. The National Organization for Marriage-Rhode Island will urge lawmakers next year to specifically outlaw gay marriage by defining it legally as being between a man and a woman, according to executive director Chris Plante.

I think this is cause for cautious celebration. We all know that civil unions are not the same thing as marriage, and gays and lesbians in New Jersey experienced and documented those differences all too well, but hopefully there won’t be too many instances of discrimination.

And hopefully we’ll have same-sex marriage in Rhode Island soon enough.