Hundreds gathered in the rotunda of the State House Thursday to show their support or opposition of same-sex marriage. Photo by Liz Burke, WPRO News.
By Kim Kalunian, WPRO News
Opponents and supporters of same-sex marriage stayed at the State House until nearly 5 a.m. Friday morning to testify both for and against Sen. Donna Nesselbush’s bill that would allow any two people, regardless of gender, to marry.
The roughly 12-hour hearing was the first step in getting the bill to its first-ever Senate floor vote. Most of the Senate Judiciary Committee stayed for the entirety of testimony, though no vote was taken on whether to send the bill to the full Senate.
More than 650 people signed up to testify Thursday night, including Governor Lincoln Chafee and General Treasurer Gina Raimondo, both proponents of same-sex marriage. Raimondo said Rhode Island’s history is based in tolerance and that all Rhode Islanders should be able to enter into committed, loving marriages.
Twelve-year-old Matthew Lannon, who has two mothers, also spoke in favor of the bill.
"I know all of you have a big decision to make, but it comes down to one important question: do you believe that my parents are equal to every other straight couple in Rhode Island?" he asked the committee. "I personally believe everyone is equal,”
Others, like Ronald L'Heureux, spoke out against the bill.
“Gentlemen, if you continue on this path, you will destroy our country,” said L'Heureux, a founder of the Faith Alliance of Rhode Island. “I don’t know how to make it any clearer, this is the goal of the Communist Party.”
It is unclear when the committee will take up Nesselbush’s bill again, or Sen. Frank Ciccone’s bill, which would put the issue of same-sex marriage on the ballot in 2014. The decision is left up the the committee, and there is no specific time frame for when the bill must be brought up again.
The fate of the same-sex marriage in the Senate has long been unclear, especially with recent changes to the Judiciary Committee. Chairman Michael McCaffrey is a known opponent of same-sex marriage, while the bill’s sponsor, Sen. Donna Nesselbush, also serves on the committee. Others, like Senators William Conley and Lou Raptakis, are potential swing votes.
A spokesman for the Rhode Island Senate said there is no way of knowing how many people watched Thursday night's hearing via the new live stream feature on the General Assembly's website.
With reports from Liz Burke, WPRO News.
