Even though same-sex marriage bills have been introduced in Rhode Island’s Assembly every year since 1997, legislators once again opted not to bring the bill to a full vote on the floor. The Assembly is wrapping up for the current session, which means one thing: Rhode Island will remain the only New England state where gays can’t get married. At least dead gays have their rights.
Lance Rockland
RI will have gay marriage in 2 years. Trust me.
Fitz
I have never lived in a worse armpit than RI. It’s Boston’s disabled and unemployed cousin. AWFUL place. Run by thugs and religious zealots. Lots of natural beauty and history.. but the people suck ass. And not in the good way.
galefan2004
At least they stopped bringing up a bill blocking gay marriage every time they brought up one supporting it like in the old days. Also, they already recognize marriages from other places they just opt not make it possible to get wed in the state. The state is so small you can drive for 50 minutes and be in a state that allows gay marriage.
@Fitz: The place where my family lives is about as open minded as you can possibly get, but I kind of have to agree with you. My mother is from there and basically said that they would have to deport half the Catholics before RI gets gay marriage.
galefan2004
@Fitz: Also REALLY depends on what area you live in. The northern and western areas are high crime slums. If you live within 50 miles of the coast, if you can afford to, its actually quite nice.
Mike L.
Yay for gay rights in Rhode Island…so long as you die! That’s so fucked up, and the only freaken right you have there if your partner dies is to bury their body. SO fucked UP! Were those freaken legislators that proposed that piece of shit trying to send a msg to the gay community?
Dan T.
@galefan2004: Uh…there is no part of Rhode Island that’s more than 50 miles of the coast. The state’s only 30 miles wide.
Sobryan
@Fitz: Whoa Fitz, I think that you are going a bit over the top! Boston and NYC are both very close to us, however I chose Providence almost EVERY day over those cities. As for these “thugs and religious zealots”… I am sure that every place in the world has residents that could be described that way, however I am not sure why you think that they run the state. Sure, Gov. Carcieri needs to leave office A.S.A.P, but our other politicians and leaders, while lacking a backbone when it comes to standing up to the Gov, are fairly open minded.
BTW, where in RI did you live to consider it an armpit? Sure, we have some bad neighborhoods, but even in those neighborhoods there are plenty of people who are kind and generous. Maybe you didn’t reach out to them?
@galefan2004: High crime slums? Not really. I have seen many “slums” here in RI go from being the ghetto to being rejuvinated by the arts and music scenes. From 2005 – 2007 ALL crime rates have declined (http://www.disastercenter.com/crime/ricrime.htm) Finally, Olneyville for instance, the town with the HIGHEST crime rate, has almost been taken over by college students from Brown University and RISD. If you need any proof that the “slums” have changed, start there and you will see a wonderful community of artists.
Everything that has been mentioned in both of your posts you can seen in both Boston and NYC as well as any other major city. We of course have the same elements, however it has been spread throughout the state.
So sure, we lack Gay Marriage, but that no doubt will be tackled once Gov. Carcieri is out of office. If anyone disputes this, the next time you are in Boston or a nearby city, travel maybe an hour or two here and visit!
In Providence you can experience concerts and sporting events at the Dunkin Donuts center, watch a play at the Providence Performing Art center or at the Trinity Theater. A short walk from downtown and you will find yourself on College Hill where you can enjoy the presence of thousands of Brown and RISD students as well as shop and eat at family owned shops,
If that doesn’t sound fun to you, check out Cranston where you can find the best Italian food restaurants (also mostly family owned), or visit Block Island, Narragansett and Newport which also have a lot of culturally rich destinations as well as being on the water.
In NO WAY is Rhode Island a SLUM!
Fitz
@Sobryan:
I lived in what used to be a Jewish Ghetto, near RISD. Back in the Buddy Cianci days.
galefan2004
@Dan T.: I meant if you lived near the coast. Damn, I feel stupid. I guess I was trying to use Ohio measurements to describe RI.
galefan2004
@Sobryan: In all fairness, I should have prefaced my statement with the fact that I haven’t been there from 2000. It probably doesn’t help that my aunts that live there live right on the ocean and are in a higher class neighborhood and because of that kind of view every area that isn’t like theirs as dangerous.
Sobryan
Haha, I understand completely! I don’t know how familiar you were with Warwick, but the school system is one of a kind (at least in our state really). When I went to school, I was classmates with kids from all races, social classes, and creeds. I am very thankful for that opportunity because I know that it helps me to get along/understand many groups. Of course the ghettos are still dangerous compared to neighborhoods on the water, but as long as you abide by a general human code of conduct, you really shouldn’t have anything to worry about.
And Sorry if you felt that I was jumping down your throat. I have just been pissed lately reading this website. Sure, we as the gay community have a lot to complain about, and articles that get people angry enough at the lack of change, often inspires change itself, however for the past months it seems that 99% of the articles are negative and cynical in one way or another.
What got me the most is that Rhode Island doesn’t get that much attention! Sure, the state is dragging it’s feet when it comes to gay rights, but like a lot of sources are saying, this will change. We just need our Gov. to end his term. Rhode Island has a lot to offer and I don’t appreciate it when it is thrown into a negative perspective and made to look like a state full of religious backward idiots who don’t belong in progressive New England.
So again sorry, it wasn’t anything against you, just crap in general 🙂
Fitz
@Sobryan: Probably plenty has changed since 85 when I left… and I should probably not throw a bucket of piss on the whole state— MY experience of RI was anal wart-ugly, despite the gorgeous natural beauty and the history of the place. My sisters and cousins & I still “UGG” every time something about RI comes up, though.
galefan2004
@Sobryan: My aunts and their friends have worked extremely hard to get Governor Bigot out of office for as long as he has been in office. They are actually the most supportive members of my entire family (perhaps because they are the most educated members of my entire family).
Sobryan
@Fitz: Hey it happens, not everyone has a good experience. I think I love it so freaking much only because of the communities that I am involved in. I am sure that there are also those evil thugs and religious turds out there, but where I just don’t see them as much.
@galefan2004: I would have to agree that people with higher education have a much more tolerant and accepting view than others. But I will also argue that the those who are poverty stricken are also sympathetic. Perhaps because they can relate on some basic human level
And let us not forget that a recent polls (as accurate as they are) show that roughly 60% of voters in RI support same sex marriage!
Fitz
@Sobryan: So tell us about it! What is wonderful about RI and the communities that you are involved in? You can be our cultural attache (without any pay or office of course, lol). Someone probably could make a living exporting real RI food out west… that is one thing RI had going on.
galefan2004
@Sobryan: I will say that one of the funnest times I ever had in a gay club was in Providence. The mood just seemed so entirely different. My aunt’s friend who is a lesbian (had lived with her partner for over 15 years at that point) had her gay son and his boyfriend take me clubbing in providence. The mood was just so different. It wasn’t the huge clubs in Akron that I’m used to, but this little club had some major interest. Another thing I loved about the scene was that the drag queen population seemed much more focused on political events.
Sobryan
@Fitz: That could take hours!!! Do you have anything specific in mind haha?
@galefan2004: You must mean Miss Kitty Litter and Sabrina Blaze! They are absolutely to die for. Gov. Carcieri was so pissed off when Kitty named herself the First Lady of RI, especially since he is such a bigot. And don’t quote me on this, but I think Sabrina actually owns the nightclub Dark Lady. Do you remember which club you went to?
Fitz
@Sobryan: This whole string challenged me, well. I did a little IM chatting with the 6 of us (sisters, cousins, me) and we all came up with a few good feelings. 🙂 Biggest to me was the stubborn, “live with it, deal with it” attitude. Biggest for my sisters are “Pickles at Gregs!” and “Lox from Millers” which was corrected to “Lox at Millahs” which was amended “OMG, did you hear!, their kid became a heroin addict and shot himself right in the deli”. lol. Gossip, food, and Schadenfreude all in one. Now THAT is RI.
Sobryan
@Fitz: haha you’ve got me there!