Rhode Island is the only New England state to have never allowed same-sex marriage. And a lot of this probably can be chalked up to its governor, Don Carcieri. First he vetos an equality bill. The Providence Journal reported: “An opponent of same-sex marriage, Governor Carcieri has vetoed a bill giving domestic partners the right to claim the bodies of — and make funeral arrangements for — their loved ones.” The bill’s history? “The legislation was an outgrowth of the wrenching tale that Mark S. Goldberg told lawmakers about his months-long battle last fall to persuade state authorities to release to him the body of his partner of 17 years, Ron Hanby, for cremation. ‘I felt as if I was treated not as a second-class citizen, but as a noncitizen,’ Goldberg told the Senate Judiciary Committee last winter, because ‘we were not legally married or blood relatives.’”
Carcieri cold and uncaring response? “This bill represents a disturbing trend over the past few years of the incremental erosion of the principles surrounding traditional marriage, which is not the preferred way to approach this issue.”
Carcieri was very rightfully slammed on this. Now he says he may be open to some form of domestic partnership. Says the AP: “after a closed-door meeting with a gay rights group, Carcieri told reporters Thursday he would consider creating a domestic partnership system similar to one approved this month by voters in Washington state. That Washington plan will allow same-sex couples benefits such as the right to use sick leave to care for a domestic partner and rights related to adoption, child custody and child support.”
My take on it? He’s doing everything possible to deny LGBT basic equality (the veto), and then providing sound bites that make him sound like a compassionate Republican. Fail.
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