Finally the Rhode Island Senate voted 26 to 12 to allow gay & lesbian couples to marry. Governor Chafee has already pledged to sign the bill into law after it is reconciled with the House version. Then Rhode Island will then become the 10th state where gay & lesbian couples can celebrate their love & commitment through marriage. The passage of H5015 in Rhode Island will make it a clean sweep for all six New England states to have passed gay marriage. Lee Swislow Executive Director of GLAD (Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders) stated, “New England is poised to be a marriage equality zone, a beacon of justice & fairness for the rest of our country. And the day will come when that equality zone encompasses all fifty states & the federal government. In 2008, on the 5th anniversary of GLAD's Goodridge decision that made Massachusetts the first state where gay & lesbian couples could marry, we pledged to see marriage equality in all six New England States by 2012. Some called it too ambitious - but we knew the people of New England could make it happen. And here we are, just past 2012, on the eve of the 10th anniversary of Goodridge & all six New England states are about to be in the win column for equality.” John Lewis, Marriage Equality USA Legal Director added, “At the same time we celebrate this historic win we are closely watching key states like Delaware & Nevada, in addition to several other nations, as the global movement for equality continues. The timing couldn't be better, as these historic changes lead up to the U.S. Supreme Court's decisions in the Prop. 8 & DOMA cases in June." Updates to Come…:)
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