Cassandra Ormiston and Margaret Chambers' impending divorce takes center stage again this week, as the Rhode Island Supreme Court has ruled that a family court can hear the queer couple's case. The once-loving ladies married in Massachusetts in 2004, during the brief months before former Governor Mitt Romney helped pass a law invalidating out-of-stater's same-sex nuptials.

Unfortunately, the ladies called it quits after heading back to their home state and filed for divorce. A family court judge, the brilliantly named Jeremiah S. Jeremiah Jr, couldn't take the backdoor judicial pressure and passed the case on to the Supreme Court.

The Court originally sent the case back to JSJ Jr., but has now agreed to hear the case only to answer this pressing question:

May the Family Court properly recognize, for the purpose of entertaining a divorce petition, the marriage of two persons of the same sex who were purportedly married in another state?

R.I. court to rule on same-sex marriage [The Providence Journal]

The confusing case of gay marriage gets even more queer today. And, like so many marriage dramas, this story begins in Massachusetts.

As you know, Massachusetts passed gay marriages back in 2004. Not one for so-called sinners, then-Governor Mitt Romney reminded lawmakers of a 1913 law which prohibited out-of-state visitors from marrying in Massachusetts. Unless, of course, their state would honor the marriage.

While some law-types fell into line, Judge Thomas E. Connolly ruled in favor of a contesting couple, saying that if a state doesn't explicitly bar gay marriage, then a couple's nuptials are legal.

One of the pair hails from New York, which is where things get really interesting...

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There's no case too small for Rhode Island Attorney General Patrick Lynch. The handsome lawyer has made it his mission to stop Paul O'Rourke: a man who can't seem to stop yelling threatening profanities at his gay neighbors.

O'Rourke's very vocal hatred of the homos even got him arrested last month for disorderly conduct. Apparently O'Rourke just couldn't get enough, leading Lynch to step in. Rhode Island Fox affiliate, WPRI reports:

Attorney General Patrick Lynch seeks a court order to stop a man from harassing and threatening his gay neighbors. Paul O'Rourke is accused in a civil rights complaint of threatening to kill a gay couple who lives across the street from him in Warwick.

He also allegedly shouted profanities and anti-gay epithets at them. O'Rourke was arrested last month and charged with disorderly conduct after police say he threatened to kill the men. He was served with the civil rights complaint yesterday. O'Rourke faces a maximum fine of five-thousand dollars.

Rhode Island Attorney General Patrick Lynch says his tiny state should recognize Massachusetts gay marriage. The state already extends partner benefits to partners of state workers and their constitution bans discrimination based on sexual orientation. Thus, Lynch says, there's no reason why they should uphold Massachusetts endorsed nups. MSNBC reports:

A letter dated yesterday from Lynch says Rhode Island prohibits discrimination based on sexual orientation and also extends benefits such as health insurance to domestic partners of state employees.

And because there’s no Rhode Island law banning gay marriage — Lynch says there’s no reason to deny recognition of same-sex unions performed in Massachusetts.

Rhode Island lesbian couple Margaret R. Chambers and Cassandra B. Ormiston are still stuck with one another. You may recall that dyke duo married in Massachusetts back in 2004.

Though former Governor and forever asshole Mitt Romney invalidated the marriage of two people from a state without gay marriage laws, a Massachusetts judge ruled that the couple's marriage mattered, as Rhode Island didn't have a law forbidding gay nups.

Sounds fine and dandy, right? Wrong.

The honeymoon ended soon after it started and the women filed for divorce in Rhode Island. Since they got married in Massachusetts, however, family court Judge Jeremiah S. Jeremiah Jr. doubted his power to heed the ladies' request and RI Supreme Court Gets It From Behind

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Sometimes things just sneak up on you, like a boogey man. Or, in the case of Rhode Island's Supreme Court, like a lesbian divorce. You're probably thinking, "Huh? But gay marriage isn't even legal in Rhode Island. What gives?"

Here's what gives: two young women by the names of Margaret R. Chambers and Cassandra B. Ormiston were passionately in love. They were so in love that they drove all the way from Rhode Island to Massachusetts for a little 2004 gay marriage action. Bound by their heartfelt emotion - not to mention law - the women travelled back to Rhode Island to live happily ever after. Psyche!

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Yesterday, two lesbians had their day in court. Arguing in front of a Massachusetts Superior Court Judge Thomas Connolly, Wendy Becker and Mary Norton made their case on why they should be allowed to marry in the state even though they are Rhode Island residents.

At hand is a "rarely enforced" 1913 Massachusetts law that bars couples from getting married in Massachusetts if their home state prohibits them from getting married. Becker and Norton argue Rhode Island's statutes not expressly ban gay marriage. Massachusetts Assistant Attorney General Peter Sacks, meanwhile, pointed to Rhode Island's marriage laws, which establish a union as the joining together of a "male party" and a "female party."

Judge Connolly's decision isn't expected for a few weeks. Becker and Norton have been together for 18 years (and have two children together); waiting for the decision might feel like 18 more.

Gay pair asking to be wed in Mass. say no ban in R.I. [Boston Globe]

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Much love to Queerty's spankalicious reader Art for sending in photos from Rhode Island's gay pride event!

Sadly, this is the only video evidence we have of Rhode Island gay pride. Surely some of you out there have better, more flattering footage?

• A group of uppity parents have their chastity belts in a bunch over a Rhode Island high school's field trip to see Rent because it "promotes homosexuality." Hey, West Side Story promotes heterosexuality (sort of) and you don't see us complaining.

• Stephen Bennett and his beard, er, wife, Irene, are at it again. She says she would give Brokeback Mountain “a 'thumbs down' for its message. Second, I give it an Oscar for the number one homosexual propaganda movie of the year." No word on which award she gave her hair. (Via Good As You)

• We spotted Bruce Vilanch (with some older guy) at the Grove this morning. No doubt he was on his way to check out Brokeback Mountain at the only LA-area theater you can catch the movie.

• Of all people, San Francisco cops are in trouble for recording videos that poke fun at African-Americans, women, and even trannies.

• Four Bulgarian athletes have been booted off their soccer team for participating in an orgy in the team's locker room, dispelling all doubt that Bel Ami videos are unrealistic.

• GE has a new print ad featuring a gay male couple for their high-end monogram line. Seeing as though we're the ones who either buy them or are responsible for putting them in chic kitchens, we think it couldn't be better. GE...You really do bring good things to life.

Contrary to popular belief, we at Queerty do occasionally manage to drag ourselves out of our great big city. And it’s not just to score some hot little farm boy in the country. We're far deeper than that. Sometimes we go out in search of Melina Kanakaredes's large curly mane in Providence.

Providence has a lot to offer. It's a small, beautiful historic city with a thriving gay community. We suspect that the cute young arty types at the highly respected Rhode Island School of Design might have something to do with the large homo count. Or maybe it’s the mayor. Over the last few years, the city has been run by out mayor David Cicilline. He’s even led the city’s Pride Parade as Grand Marshall.

What's truly surprising about Providence is the swinging gay nightlife. Even big city Bostonians make the 45-minute trek each weekend.

So what do you get once your arrive? Well for starters, Mirabar. Its your obligatory dance club with typical offerings: Twinks and go-go dancers galore. If that's not your style then new kid on the block Dark Lady (of course it's named after the Cher song, silly!) offers a more casual atmosphere. But be prepared to rub up against hordes of people as you make your way to the bar. Somehow we don’t think you’ll have a problem with that.