11/13/2009
Rhode Island Governor Expresses Openness to 'Everything But Marriage' Domestic Partner Law After Meeting with Gay Groups
Given the fact that Rhode Island Governor Donald Carcieri is solidly in with NOM and giving speeches about "traditional marriage" to the Massachusetts Family Institute, this thaw is encouraging.
As I posted earlier this week, Carcieri vetoed a bill that would have allowed gays and lesbians to make funeral arrangements for their domestic partners, saying, "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. If the
General Assembly believes it would like to address the issue
of domestic partnerships, it should place the issue on the ballot and
let the people of the state of Rhode Island decide.''
"'Maybe [an 'everything but marriage' domestic partner law is] something we should consider,' said Carcieri, after meeting privately Thursday for more than an hour in his office with a half-dozen members of Queer Action of Rhode Island, a group that in the immediate aftermath of his veto had labeled him 'a bigot.' Among those attending was Mark Goldberg, the Providence East Sider whose five-week battle to claim the body of his partner of 17 years from the state morgue, had sparked the vetoed legislation. Citing as a possible model the 'everything but marriage' referendum that won approval in the state of Washington earlier this month, Carcieri said: 'I don’t know enough, yet. All I am saying is I understand the circumstances. I understand the difficulties' that can arise for same-sex couples and others — such as widows living with widowers, and widows with other widows — outside the legal framework of a traditional marriage. 'Let’s see if we can find a way to solve that without discreet [pieces] of legislation every time something comes up. I just don’t think that is the right way to deal with it,' he said."
Posted 8:04 AM EST by Andy Towle in Gay Marriage, News, Rhode Island | Permalink
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Screw this Mofo....fuck him, and the Buy-Bull he rode in on.
Posted by: Disgusted American | Nov 13, 2009 8:23:34 AM
"I don't know enought, yet."
But he couldn't be bothered to figure that out BEFORE vetoing the bill? What an ass...
Posted by: Blake | Nov 13, 2009 9:05:14 AM
so when dealing with people face-to-face, this scumbag doesn't even have the courage of his convictions to stand by his actions? actsion speak louder than words, and he's proven he's a heartless and soulless bigot.
but be careful what we write here. apparently bible thumping bigots CAN read, and they've recently accused Joe.My.God of being a terrorist. yes, the FBI is reading our posts everywhere too.
so, read this SOBs: FUCK YOU.
and this one is just for you RI Gov: FUCK YOU.
Posted by: casey | Nov 13, 2009 9:06:35 AM
He truly is a moron.
You don't know enough yet? You're the governor, idiot! It's your job to know enough, particularly before you veto anything. The way to solve the problem of having to pass "discreet" pieces of legislation "every time something comes up" is to pass a single full equality bill. Problem solved. But that would require putting ignorance and bigotry aside, and clearly the governor isn't up to that.
Governors who can't be bothered to know enough shouldn't be in office in the first place.
Posted by: Ernie | Nov 13, 2009 9:22:44 AM
THE PUSH FOR CIVIL EQUALITY - AND CIVIL UNIONS WAS HIJACKED BY THE FAR LEFT WHO WERE CAUGHT UP ON THE WORD MARRIAGE - let it go.
Civil Legal Equality MUST be the first get - call it a civil union if it will get equal rights.
As a gay man who was married and divorced in Massachusetts over the last 5 years I promise you there is more to this than the word marriage.
My partner of 15 years went nuts and got into drugs (meth) --- and walked out on me without a single conversation.
Without my legal civil rights I would have been out on the street without my very nice settlement and transitional alimony for the next 5 years.
WORK FOR CIVIL UNIONS NOW.
Then get the word marriage out of government all together. It is an old religious term that has an ugly history attached to it anyway.
Sraight and Gay will one day get civil unions. And their church can grant them the word Marriage if they like.
That is how we win.
The fight for the term marriage I believe has been funded by the religious right.
Posted by: Tony X | Nov 13, 2009 9:23:41 AM
PS... while the evil done to Mark Goldberg, the Providence East Sider whose five-week battle to claim the body of his partner of 17 years from the state morgue is unimaginable .... Mr. Goldberg and his partner should have long ago created a power of atty agreement in the event the other passed away.
If you are in non-marriage state and hope to have some decision making ability for your partner --- get your act together NOW and make the legal arrangements.
If not --- you have nobody else to blame but yourself for your inaction when you experience what Mr. Goldberg has.
Posted by: Tony X | Nov 13, 2009 9:27:25 AM
Tony X, what on earth are you talking about? Civil unions were hijacked by the far left? Huh? Do you consider the courts in MA, IA, CT, and CA the far left? The state legislatures of VT, NH, and ME the far left? No, the word "marriage" has been hijacked by the religious right; they're the ones caught up on it, never mind that civil marriage equality does not infringe on religious freedoms one bit.
Yes, CUs can be an important step forward on the road to equality. Yes, maybe CUs for everyone--straight and gay--is worthy of consideration, but until straight people are on board with that (a very unlikely event), marriage for them and something else for us equals second class citizenship.
There are arguments to be made for CUs, particularly as a transitional form of protection, but blaming a mythical far left for sabotaging our push for equal rights is ludicrous. (The far lefties I know aren't particularly interested in marriage.) Marriage wasn't even on the governor of RI's desk, and yet out came his veto pen. Blame him.
Posted by: Ernie | Nov 13, 2009 9:49:30 AM
>>Mr. Goldberg and his partner should have long ago created a power of atty agreement in the event the other passed away.
@TONY X -- If you read the original article via the link in the archives, you'd see that these men did in fact do just about everything in their power to have binding legal contracts. They were even married in Connecticut, IIRC. Yet still Goldberg had to endure unimaginable rigamarole and red tape.
Posted by: JohnH | Nov 13, 2009 10:09:19 AM
Tony X:
1. Separate But Equal is Fine and what we should be striving for.
2. Blame the Victim.
3. Accept whatever crumbs we're given and be happy with that.
any other little nuggets of CRAP you'd like to give us?
enjoy your 'alimony' and STFU.
Posted by: casey | Nov 13, 2009 11:04:42 AM
Tony: It's well and good to emphasize equal legal protections, but we don't get civil unions unless we fight for marriage. We ask for civil unions and we get something less.
I agree that marriage is a stretch in the 14 remaining states, but we don't get anywhere near full legal protections and responsibilities until we fight for actual civil equality and the majority moderates get to "give" us Marriage Lite.
Posted by: Dave | Nov 13, 2009 12:28:58 PM
Oh, and Powers of Attorney do NOT grant control over the body. Once deceased, there is no legal way for an unmarried partner to control the remains - even a will doesn't actually accomplish that legal feat.
A few states, like NY, have passed laws allowing DP's to control the remains, but the Governor of RI just vetoed the only means of doing that. Now the legislature has to vote again to override his veto, which they likely will. In short, the Governor just wasted RI tax revenue so as to uphold some uninformed and short sighted personal biases.
I agree that piecemeal legislation is wasteful, but this particular bill was a sunk cost.
Posted by: Dave | Nov 13, 2009 12:34:14 PM
Two letters - B.S.
Posted by: CB | Nov 13, 2009 3:07:56 PM
Gay groups met with... STOP. JUST STOP.
Stop giving these horrible people an out, or a way to look like they're being reasonable. What was it a few weeks ago, a gay group meeting with Buju Banton (who almost immediately threw it back in their face with another "my war with f*gg*ts never ends" quote).
Until the GLBT movement is ready to stand up and make our enemies afraid (rather than constantly just begging for our rigths and looking weak), we're going to keep getting run over. I'm not saying there's not a place for ads and messages that appeal to compassion; but there's also a place to make our enemies worry that "if you come at us; we're coming back at you."
There should be ads all over the place that make Donald Carcieri look as soulless and monstrous as he actually was about this. Why do we never take the tactic of putting our resources behind making the rightwing think twice about coming after us, or we'll pour our time and money into destroying their political reputation? Homophobia's the wrong word, as they don't FEAR us at all. And they should, if we were gutsier. They wouldn't be quite so quick to run towards us, every time they need a public scapegoat.
Posted by: bobbyjoe | Nov 13, 2009 4:53:53 PM