MERI calls for Equality Now
Providence. Marriage Equality Rhode Island PAC (MERI PAC) congratulates marriage equality advocate Governor-Elect Lincoln Chafee (I) and the vast number of marriage equality victors in the General Assembly races.
“The impact of this election is monumental,” said Patrick Smock, chair of MERI PAC.
“We are ready,” Smock said. “Rhode Islanders across the state have spoken out for equality. They cast their votes and are sending marriage equality supporters to the State House to bring fairness and respect to all the families in our state, their friends and neighbors.”
“We thank everyone across the state who worked so hard to support equality candidates, and we thank the candidates for standing up for the rights of all their constituents,” Smock said.
Equality winners in the House of Representatives include:
District 1 (Providence): Rep. John McCauley, Jr. (D)
District 2 (Providence): Christopher Blazejewski (D)
District 3 (Providence): Rep. Edith Ajello (D)
District 4 (Providence): Speaker Gordon Fox (D)
District 7 (Providence): Maria Cimini (D)
District 9 (Providence): Rep. Anastasia Williams (D)
District 10 (Providence): Rep. Scott Slater (D)
District 11 (Providence): Rep. Grace Diaz (D)
District 18 (Cranston): Rep. Arthur Handy (D)
District 20 (Warwick): David Bennett (D)
District 21 (Warwick): Rep. Eileen Slattery Naughton (D)
District 22 (Warwick): Rep. Frank Ferri (D)
District 28 (Coventry): Rep. Scott Guthrie (D)
District 33 (Narragansett): Rep. Donald Lally (D)
District 34 (Narragansett, South Kingstown): Teresa A. Tanzi (D)
District 36 (Charlestown, S.Kingstown, New Shoreham): Rep. Donna Walsh (D)
District 46 (Lincoln): Jeremiah O’Grady (D)
District 59 (Pawtucket): Rep. J. Patrick O’Neill (D)
District 60 (Pawtucket): Rep. Elaine Coderre (D)
District 62 (E. Providence, Pawtucket): Rep. Mary Duffy Messier (D)
District 66 (Barrington): Rep. Joy Hearn (D)
District 68 (Bristol): Richard Morrison (D)
District 70 (Tiverton): Rep. John Edwards (D)
District 74 (Jamestown, Middletown): Rep. Deborah Ruggiero (D)
District 75 (Newport): Rep. Peter Martin (D)
Equality winners in the Senate include:
District 2 (Providence): Sen. Juan Pichardo (D)
District 3 (Providence): Sen. Rhoda Perry (D)
District 11 (Bristol, Portsmouth): Christopher Ottiano (R)
District 15 (Pawtucket): Donna Nesselbush (D)
District 18 (East Providence): Sen. Frank DeVall, Jr. (D)
District 21 (Coventry, Foster, Scituate): Nicholas Kettle (R)
District 28 (Cranston): Sen. Joshua Miller (D)
District 31 (Warwick): Sen. Erin Lynch (D)
District 37 (South Kingstown, New Shoreham): Sen. Susan Sosnowski (D)
A poll conducted by Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research, from July 7 to12, surveyed 502 likely voters in Rhode Island and showed that 59 percent support allowing same-sex couples to legally marry in the state. When told that marriage equality would not infringe on a church’s right to marry whom they choose, support increased to 66 percent overall and 63 percent among Catholics. The margin of error is +/- 4.4 percent.
While I appreciate your clearly passionate views, I think if you look into it more closely you’ll find that Information Technology isn’t at all like what you seem to think it is.
I am amazed that the gay lobby is not being presented for what IT is—a radically intolerant group that will stop at nothing to ensure that its agenda is advanced. News flash: human behaviors are not the same as race or gender. Homosexuality has never been proven to be a genetic trait and it never will, because it is not. It is a learned response to stimulus. No ones rights are being impeded. You are free to marry, just not someone of the same sex, or your child, or your mother, for that matter.
News flash 2: Gay marriage will NOT pass RI in 2011. Let me pass out the tissues, because it is done…over, kaput.
Now, work on the economy, which is the only thing our legislature should be focusing on at this point.
It is unfortunate that there are homophobic, bigoted individuals like “Rob” in our great American society which will stop at nothing to impose their radical, religious, right-wing agenda on other.
In Texas, there are lawmakers who wish to make performing marriage ceremonies for same-sex couples a felony, even though those marriages will not be recognized. They want to throw pastors, rabbis, and ministers in prison and criminalize people for their religious beliefs.
In Maine, the catholic church stopped funding to the Preble Street Homeless Voices for Justice program since the group opposed a anti-marriage equality ballot referendum.
In Washington D.C. the catholic church threatened to stop feeding the homeless and providing social services if marriage equality was legalized. Once marriage equality was passed, they stop providing spousal benefits to all their employees out of prejudice.
In Colorado, a catholic church kicked out a student just because his parents were a lesbian couple.
In Massachusetts, the catholic church fired a school dean because she got married to her partner.
In Iowa, extreme anti-gay and homophobic churches conspired together and ran a smear campaign against three state Supreme Court justices and had them voted out just for doing their jobs.
Homophobia, prejudice, and discrimination are evil and they are plagues which are sweeping across this great nation. Only justice and equality can defeat it.
I invite all Americans to stand up and fight back against intolerant and bigotry and to stand up for justice and support marriage equality.
The catholic church is a corrupt organization in which Mr. Ratzinger, or the “pope” covered up the crimes of priest which raped children and was a member of the Hitler Youth when he was younger.
Mr. Ratzinger’s anti-Semitic views still persist today since he is promoting bishops and priests which were previously demoted by his predecessor due to extreme anti-Semitic views they had.
“Scriptural basis?” Slavery and genocide has a scriptural basis and yet I don’t see anyone supporting that.
In America, people can decide what their own belief and faith is and YOU cannot force your beliefs on others. That is called fascism.
Humans, like other species of life, are diverse and may have different sexual orientations.
You know NOTHING about biology if you don’t understand that it is diverse and to every rule there are exceptions, including sexual attraction.
Everything you stated is bigoted, prejudicial, opinionated, and completely wrong.
You need to learn the facts before posting moronic comments.
Anthony, the Catholic Church has never condoned the rape of children , nor is Pope Benedict a former Nazi. Your comments are the ones that are bigoted. The pastors and ministers who wish to perform so-called gay weddings have no Scriptural basis to do so, nor do they have the backing of any legitimate Church teaching authority.
My comments are based on facts and are not moronic. Denying that humans are anatomically and biologically oriented to the opposite sex is moronic. May God bless us all.
Marriage is the union between two committed adults. The efforts of misguided homophobes and religious fundamentalists will NEVER change that. Nor will banning marriage equality in state constitutions.
The poll cited is accurate and true. The catholic church, an organization which condones the rape and torture of children and is headed by a former Nazi, chose to end its services out of prejudice and bigotry. They weren’t forced by anyone.
Many pastors and ministers of churches in Rhode Island wish to marriage gay and lesbians couples but can’t due to the law. So much for religious freedom.
Humans, like other species of life, are diverse and may have different sexual orientations and attractions.
You are wrong and intolerant.
Please learn the facts before posting moronic comments.
Marriage is the union of one man and one woman. The efforts of misguided politicians will NEVER change that. Nor will legalizing it. The poll cited is faulty as well. The Catholic Church has already been forced to give up their adoption services in MA when they wouldn’t place children with same-sex couples. Forcing them to perform so-called same sex marriages is right around the corner. So much for religious freedom.
Humans are anatomically and biologically oriented to the opposite sex. This is what needs to be discussed, not marriage.