Late last month we learned that Thomas J. Tobin, Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Providence, tried to delay legislative action on Rhode Island’s pending marriage equality bills with the claim that “Any legislative action that is taken now could very well be rendered completely null and void by the decision of the Supreme [...]

The Rev. John A. Kiley, a senior priest in the Catholic Diocese of Providence, recently sent a letter titled “Homosexual marriage still a lie” to the Providence Journal : John A. Kiley: Homosexual marriage still a lie The cascading list of politicians and professionals endorsing so-called homosexual marriage calls to mind a profound observation of the [...]

In 2009 the Assemblies of God posted a video that seems to remain unacknowledged by opponents of marriage equality.  The video “Performing Same Sex Marriages” features Richard Hammar, General Counsel of the Assemblies of God, assuring AOG churches that their freedom to refuse to marry same-sex couples or to provide church facilities for same-sex weddings [...]

Lately it seems as though National Organization for Marriage in Rhode Island, the lynchpin of the opposition to Rhode Island’s marriage equality bill (H5015/S38), is just going through the motions. Perhaps NOM-RI agrees with Sen. Stephen Archambault (D-Smithfield) when he said of the marriage equality bill that “I’m confident it will pass” the upcoming vote [...]

Forgetting that justice delayed is justice denied, Thomas J. Tobin, Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Providence is trying to persuade the Rhode Island Senate to delay action on marriage-related legislation.  Here is the bishop’s Hail Mary pass: In light of the historic deliberations of the U.S. Supreme Court on same-sex marriage, it would [...]

Two marriage-related bills are currently in play in the Rhode Island state Senate.  S38 is the senate version of the marriage equality bill that the House passed in late January by an overwhelming majority of 51 to 19.  S708 is a bill that would send a referendum to voters asking whether the state constitution should [...]

In an unexpected move the National Organization for Marriage in Rhode Island, the organization dedicated to barring same-sex couples from civil marriage, is now backing a proposed state constitutional amendment that would not only legalize marriage for same-sex couples, but enshrine that right in the state’s constitution. The constitutional amendment (S 708), filed yesterday by Sen [...]

Yesterday Providence Journal reported that a hearing date of March 21 has been set for the Rhode Island marriage equality bill (S 38) in the Senate Committee on Judiciary.  The Rhode Island state House passed its version of the marriage bill (H 5015) in late January by an overwhelming majority of 51 to 19. Also [...]

As the Rhode Island legislature deliberates over the marriage equality bill, Paul Agresti of Rumford poses a cogent question in a letter to the editor of Providence Journal: Governor Chafee (“Gay marriage key to flourishing R.I. economy,” Commentary, March 3) thinks that the legalization of same-sex marriage will be a big boost to Rhode Island’s [...]

There is only one age group of Rhode Island voters — people over 70 — that doesn’t support marriage equality by over 58%, a Brown University survey has determined. “The poll found generational differences among supporters and opponents of same-sex marriage. The highest level of support for same-sex marriage came from registered voters ages 30 [...]