Rhode Island considers gay marriage law
Rhode Island officials are considering a new marriage equality bill.
Sponsors of the legislation have high hopes the bill will go to a vote and eventually be passed, despite failing to push it through both the House of Representatives and the Senate over the last ten years.
One supporter, Donald Lally, the House of Representatives judiciary chairman, said: “Donald Lally is reluctant to push too hard, but believes the bill will eventually pass.
“What I’ve found in the house is, each year people are becoming more tolerant,” said Lally. If you’d talked to me five years ago, civil unions wouldn’t have been discussed, and now I’ve got Republicans come to me and say they wish that was available.”
However, Senate judiciary chairman, Michael McCaffrey is against same-sex marriage.
Church leaders in Rhode Island are divided on the issue. Reverend Dennis Kessinger, of Amazing Grace Church said he believes children need a mum and dad and claimed children raised by same-sex couples are more likely to be abused.
Reverend Jan Grinnell, a lesbian deacon at St Michael’s Episcopal Church, stated her support for the bill along with a group of clergy, she said: speaking “The divine known by many names does not ever side with hate or discrimination.”
Last week a Supreme Judicial Court ruled that same sex couples who are denied marriage rights in their own state, will not be allowed to legally marry in Massachusetts.