Finally, marriage equality may get a fair hearing in RI. Here’s a righteous and courageous statement from Governor Lincoln Chafee: “In 1967, the U.S. Supreme Court held that ‘the freedom to marry has long been recognized as one of the vital personal rights essential to the orderly pursuit of happiness by free men.’ Today, same-sex couples — loving, productive and valued members of our community — are not free to exercise this right in Rhode Island. They are not free to form a public social contract that all agree promotes family stability and provides social, financial and legal benefits to its participants.
“This is not acceptable to me and should not be acceptable to anyone else. When we deprive gay and lesbian Rhode Islanders of the freedom to marry, we not only deny them a fundamental right guaranteed by our Constitution, we also diminish the freedom and liberty for all Rhode Islanders.” (Cited from the Providence Journal, 02-10-11.)
