GLAD Supports Protections for Rhode Island Couples
GLAD is working with Marriage Equality Rhode Island (MERI) to advance an affirmative marriage equality bill during the 2007 legislative session. The bill was drafted by GLAD attorney Karen Loewy.
GLAD and MERI are also working to build a set of legal protections for same-sex couples through new legislation being introduced this session:
Testimonial Privilege- would provide domestic partners with the same privileges as spouses to not testify against one another in court.
Family Medical Leave- would allow domestic partners the same rights as married couples to take unpaid leave to care for one another - or a partner’s parents or child - in cases of serious illness.
Funeral Planning- would consider domestic partners as next of kin for the purposes of making funeral arrangements and decision about a deceased partner’s remains.
Nursing Home Visitations- would allow domestic partners the same rights to private visitation as married couples, and would allow domestic partners who live in the same nursing home to share a room.
Pension Transfer- would allow state employees to name a domestic partner as a beneficiary of a state pension after their death.
Wrongful Death- would allow domestic partners to have standing to sue for loss of consortium in cases of wrongful death