Rhode Island's Gov. Donald Carcieri cannot simply speak out against same-sex marriage at the Massachusetts Family Institute and expect nobody is his home state to care. Which explains what those 150 people on Saturday were doing in front of the State House.
Sponsored by Marriage Equality Rhode Island, the rally was the perfect opportunity to launch a new anti-Carcieri campaign based on a single word: "aggravated." Speaking at MFI on Thursday, that's how the governor said he felt when anyone argued to him that marriage is a "civil right."
Several speakers in the rally denounced Gov. Donald Carcieri ’65, who said at a Thursday fund-raiser for the Massachusetts Family Institute that “gay marriage is not a civil right” and that he gets “aggravated” when people call it that. On its Web site, the MFI calls homosexuality “destructive to family, individuals and society” and supports “the healing of those plagued by a same-sex attraction.”
State Rep. Frank Ferri, D-Dist. 22, a former chair of MERI and an openly gay state legislator, responded to Carcieri at the rally, saying, “Guess I know what one of my roles is at the State House: I aggravate Governor Carcieri.”
[Ken Fish, a gay rights activist and retired state education official,] said in response to the governor’s remarks, that the word “aggravated” did not approach the feeling of “how deeply this loss is felt by members of our community,” adding that the governor reminded him of “the Southern governors of a generation ago, attempting desperately (to defend) segregation, all in the name of tradition.”
If debating the right to marry aggravates Carcieri, then maybe he's not cut out for the job. 'Cause Rhode Island's homos are promising one helluva migraine until they get their civil rights.
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To quote Sophia from The Golden Girls: "The man is a scuzzball."
The residents of Rhode Island are only 52% "religious." Most States that have less than 55% "religious" support same sex marriage. They are ALL in New England.
This Catholic is paying more attention to his faith, than the people of Rhode Island.
I don't believe that RI is only 52%-identified religious. Where is that statistic from?
Actually 53% "religious" Rhode Island is from Gallup. Lots of Catholics, too. Catholics are 50/50 about Gays.
http://www.gallup.com/poll/114.....igion.aspx
Fitz, "I don't believe that RI is only 52%-identified religious. Where is that statistic from?" Brian made it up, I would guess.
http://www.statemaster.com/gra.....no-percent has a table of the percentage of the population of each state claiming "no religion". It's 20% for California, 16% for Massachusetts, and 15% for Rhode Island.
The top 8 in the "no religion" catagory are Washington, Vermont, Colorado, Oregon, California, Idaho, and Wyoming. Iowa, Kentucky, Arkansas, and New York, West Virgina, and Maryland are tied at 13%. Virginia, Connecticut, Florida, and Pennsylvania are tied at 12%.
So, Connecticut and Iowa (12% and 13% respectively of the population of these states have no religion) allow same-sex marriages. California (20% having no religion) does not.
The data simply does not support Brian's contention that religion in general is the problem. Certain sects are a big problem but the "its the fault of religion" hypothesis does not fit the data and is at best a gross oversimplification.
Amazing- I lived in RI for a while, and it seemed so AMAZINGLY religious.
B loves to defend "religion." But, he misses the point. Look at the Gallup Poll above. 53% of people in Rhode Island believe religion is "important." Those are the "serious" religious people. They are older and not open to equality for LGBT. But the good news is many are becoming much less "religious," in fact most young people are non-religious. As that group gains strength, so does our ability to obtain equality.
Plus, look what this former Episcopalian Bishop finally said:
http://www.queerty.com/john-sh.....-20091019/
Whether or not someone takes religion seriously or makes it "very important" is the key to LGBT Equality. The former Bishop essentially said:
"Homosexuality is not wrong, sinful or deviant."
Individual churches and full denominations are next.
Heh. Looks like Brian is finally getting what he's been demanding. Look at what the ex-Bishop said:
http://www.queerty.com/john-sh.....-20091019/
Persistence pays off. We have to figure out how to enroll the "good" religious people.
We need to remove imposing religious pigs out of public office. Who the hell gave these religious imbeciles the keys to our liberties?
Brain was right – homosexuals are not wrong, sinful or deviant. Any politician who thinks we are – must be replaced. That's the only way we'll achieve equality.