Rhode Island is within striking distance of becoming the 10th state to legalize same-sex marriage as the House Judiciary Committee voted yesterday to send the bill to the full House for the final vote on Thursday.
The Senate passed the marriage equality bill last week, but it had to return to the House of Representatives for some minor changes. The Senate added language ensuring that groups like the Knights of Columbus won’t be legally obligated to to provide nary a Niña, a Pinta nor a Santa Maria for same-sex weddings.
At the hearing on Tuesday, only three people provided the requisite “gay marriage will lead us all straight into hell” argument, since most people realize the fight is all but over.
The House is expected to pass the bill as it had (rather easily) done with an earlier version back in January. And Governor Lincoln Chafee has his pen at the ready to sign the bill into law once it comes across his desk, meaning that the first gay weddings could take place as early as August 1.
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New England will then be the one section of the country where same-sex couples can travel interstate and still maintain all of their rights as married folk. Just no one go south of Delaware.
Kevin
Another one bites the dust! It’s an exciting time to be gay! <3
Homophile
@Kevin:
Darling, it’s always been a fabulous time to be gay! That’s what’s so wonderful about our kind, we persevere no matter the circumstance.
Kevin
@Homophile: Well of course, that’s a given, but I am thankful that I am old enough to understand the significance of the milestones we are reaching at a faster and faster frequency, but young enough to enjoy them and live to see what more there is to come in the future. I just turned 25 and have enjoyed every second of being out of the closet for the last year.
Alex
@Kevin:
LOVE this comment<3 from now on, every time another state falls under our spell Im gonna yell out "BAM! another one bites the dust!" haha hopefully the Supreme Court will make our lives easier by striking down at least DOMA (on constitutional grounds), that means from then on those gay marriage bans will fall like domino pieces 🙂 crossin' fingers for our people
teammm
Rhode Island is full of great people. My law professor is from there and she’s so sweet.