I previously posted about Rhode Island's controversy over their attempt to pass a gay civil union bill after legislators dropped the push for marriage. This Tuesday, it will face its first legislative test.
A proposal to create civil unions for gay couples in Rhode Island will soon face its first legislative test.The controversy within our community is whether or not civil unions is an acceptable alternative to same-sex marriage. Legislators in Rhode Island have attempted to make the case that they only have the votes for civil unions while our enemies claim even civil unions are an unacceptable stepping stone to full marriage equality.
The House Judiciary Committee has set a vote on the measure for Tuesday. If the committee endorses civil unions the proposal will head to the full House for consideration.
Basically, Rhode Island has become a microcosm of the whole civil unions and marriage debate. It is also an example of political expediency versus ideological purity that has entered our national discourse on the question of gay marriage. Our community still struggles with the question whether or not civil unions create a second class institution or whether we should push for it and try to have full marriage recognition later.
