Gay Marriage Effort Stalls In Heavily Catholic Rhode Island
Written by Ray Henry Monday, 11 May 2009 06:14
Sen. Lawrence Bliss, D- South Portland, right, is congratulated by fellow lawmakers in the Senate chamber after they voted and gave final approval to a gay rights marriage bill at the State House.
PROVIDENCE, R.I. — Gay marriage could soon become the law of the land across New England _ except in the heavily Roman Catholic state of Rhode Island.
A string of sudden successes for gay marriage advocates has left Rhode Island a political outlier. Maine became the fourth state in New England to legalize same-sex unions on Wednesday, while New Hampshire Gov. John Lynch is now deciding whether to sign similar legislation.
Vermont lawmakers established gay marriage last month, following a path already set by courts in Massachusetts and Connecticut.
Yet the movement has stalled in Rhode Island, perhaps even lost ground, after a stalemate at the Statehouse, a loss in the state's top court and continued opposition from religious leaders.
"I do not hear voices raised, voices stating absolutely that this just cannot do," said Cassandra Ormiston, 62, a lesbian who could not get divorced in Rhode Island after she and her partner married in Massachusetts. "It is not enough to be patient."
Religion remains among the biggest hurdles. A recent survey by Trinity College in Connecticut showed 46 percent of Rhode Islanders identify themselves as Roman Catholic, a larger percentage than any other state.
Given its size, the church carries political clout. On the last Inauguration Day, every statewide elected official began the morning with a special Mass at the Cathedral of Sts. Peter and Paul, celebrated by Bishop Thomas Tobin.
Tobin does not hesitate to tussle with politicians, especially on gay marriage. He calls gay unions a perversion of natural law and a violation of an institution that Catholics believe was created by God.
Read the original article in The Huffington Post
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