Rhode Island House Votes 51-19 for Marriage Equality

[Ninja108]

I still think this year she really has no choice but to allow a vote and have it pass, lest she wants herself and chamber members to face primary hell in 2014.

As far as the northeast, Pennsylvania will be the last one to pass marriage equality.

She doesn't,which is why they are trying to put in loathesome religious exemptions beyond the normal churches won't be forced to marry etc.

 

[eastofeden]

Well she is a graduate of Catholic University, there's your first clue, and probably half of the rest of the chamber are devout Catholics. What's more, the Vatican, as we all know, tends to grow very long tentacles.

Nancy Pelosi is also a Catholic and she fully supports gay marraige equality...before most others did. She has stated that her Catholic faith "Compels" her to support same sex marraige.

"My religion has, compels me--and I love it for it--to be against discrimination of any kind in our country, and I consider this a form of discrimination. I think it’s unconstitutional on top of that. "

http://cnsnews.com/news/article/pelosi-her-catholic-faith-compels-her-support-same-sex-marriage

 

[lambdaboy]

Whuke all this gives hope for tomorrow, without a federal law no benefits like married heterosexuals will be given to the other partner. Such as filing a joint tax return, which at time will lower the tax paid. Survivors Social Security Benefits. I am American my partner and I live in London. We have a civil partnership and have the same rights as a married couple. Hope the States get there in my life time.

 

[palemale]

Well she is a graduate of Catholic University, there's your first clue, and probably half of the rest of the chamber are devout Catholics. What's more, the Vatican, as we all know, tends to grow very long tentacles.

Catholics support same sex marriage at a higher percentage than the population as a whole. I believe Jews are the only religious group that supports it at higher numbers than Catholics. Keep in mind that most of the states that recognize same sex marriage have large Catholic populations. Massachusetts, New York, New Hampshire, Connecticut, Vermont are all states in the top 10 for highest percentage of Catholics. http://www.statemaster.com/graph/pe...people-roman-catholicism-percentage-catholics

New Jersey is in the top 10 and will pass same sex marriage as soon as Governor Fat Fuck is out of office.

Also, of the top 10 Catholic states, all are solidly blue states except for Arizona. Arizona will probably be a blue state once more Latino immigrants, who are largely Catholic, become citizens.

 

[palemale]

^^^ I've seen the polling on Catholics in the 50s percent, mostly because US Catholics (and Jews for that matter) live in urban areas, but this is Rhode Island, where Catholics in the Senate are conservative, which is what I meant by "devout."

Perhaps you didn't see Ninja's post:

I did see it. The vote in the RI House of Representatives voted for marriage equality by a pretty lopsided margin, and I assume most of the representatives were Catholic. There seems to be only one person in the Senate, the Senate President, who is holding up the vote. Is there any reason to believe, once the Senate does vote, that it will be any less lopsided than the vote in the House of Representatives? My point is that, just because there is a reactionary Catholic Democratic leader in the Senate, it doesn't mean that she is a reflection of Catholic sentiment in general.

 

[Ninja108]

palemale it will only come to a vote if the leaders in the Senate want it too.
They can and have come up with excuses to delay or simply not allow a vote.

 

[palemale]

palemale it will only come to a vote if the leaders in the Senate want it too.
They can and have come up with excuses to delay or simply not allow a vote.

Then primary the bitch. If she wins, get the losing candidate to run as a third party candidate. Better a Republican then this reactionary jerk. There's Democrats to spare in RI.

 

[Ninja108]

I will gladly throw a dollar or two to help support someone else. In my neck of the woods,the LGBT community helped make sure a local congresswomen who had high marks from the Family Research Council only served one term in office.
As Jockboy said,the Senate Democrats who have been blocking gay marriage in RI ARE feeling the heat and there is no doubt they could face primary challengers if they don't allow a vote soon.

 

[Ninja108]

There is a counter bill which has no chance of passing being proposed by Frank Ciccone,another conservative Democrat who has helped block marriage equlity in RI.
I believe gay marriage will come to Rhode Island but as Jockboy mentioned,the Democratic leaders will be dragging their feet the whole time.
Sorry to sound harsh about religion but this country isn't a theocracy and every Democrat (for the most part) that has been fighting marriage equality in NY,Illinois etc seems to have as much trouble with seperation of church and state as the Republician party does.

 

[Ninja108]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/antho...marriage_b_2867630.html?utm_hp_ref=gay-voices

Disguisting,I guess the bigots in Rhode Island want to make sure the ones down South don't out do them.

 

[scream4ever]

Also Jabour has confirmed his support for the bill. Overall things are sounding pretty promising. It'll be huge if a majority of the Republicans in the Senate vote in favor!

 

[Ninja108]

Here's hoping by the end of the year RI will have marriage equality. ANd if anyone wants to get a preview of what it will be like in Bible Belt states down the line when they will be forced to address the issue of gay marriage,RI is it.

 

[rareboy]

As always, we Eskimos up here are keeping our fingers crossed for RI.

 

[star-warrior]

And the last to ratify the U.S. Constitution, but still...as a Gay Man this news is enough get one's nipples hard.

Or in JockBoy87's case out of his Jock.

That's a mighty big jock, or his nipples are a bit too far south of his navel...

 

[Ninja108]

If you want to see bigots being forced to get dragged into the 21st century,watch the feed above. Make no mistake,all the top big wigs(whom are Democrats) do NOT want this bill to have a hearing at all but know they have no choice.

 

[Ninja108]

I'll say this..if this doesn't come up for a vote,then it is high time that primary challenges etc are looked into. In NY,a number of anti-gay Democrats who blocked gay marriage were booted out of office,the same should happen in RI.

 

[Ninja108]

They are still hearing testimony at 1 AM.

I do not know if they are required to hear everyone who wants to speak, or if the chairman can cut it off at any time.

But they will have a vote when it's over.

I agree that if it fails, next year, or the year after that, it will be done all over again, and they will have to listen to the same obnoxious crap all over again, and again, until they get it right.

Heh,as we've both pointed out,the head Democrats are really no different then the Republicians in the South. If they can find a way to delay the vote this year,and the next and the next,they'll do it unless pressure is applied. And if it means voting for a primary challenger or even a Republician,if it can be done,it should.

 

[Ninja108]

I'm hoping those who are opposed simply grit their teeth and let it go through. They know there will be hell to pay if they don't.

 

[scream4ever]

I'm hoping those who are opposed simply grit their teeth and let it go through. They know there will be hell to pay if they don't.

I'm predicting that's what's going to happen.

 

[Ninja108]

Sad to say but the Democrats have such a strong hold in RI,it's hard to get the bigoted ones out.