FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact Carisa Cunningham (617) 426-1350

July 1, 2011

RI Civil Union Bill is Beyond Unequal;  GLAD Calls on Governor to Veto Flawed Legislation

Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders is calling on Governor Lincoln Chafee to veto the discriminatory civil union bill that passed Rhode Island’s Senate last night.  The bill includes broad language that could allow religiously based organizations, including schools, hospitals, and social service agencies, to refuse to recognize the civil unions of their employees, clients, and patients for any purpose.

“Allowing this bill to become law would be a complete departure from Governor Chafee’s previous leadership on LGBT issues,” said Karen Loewy, Senior Staff Attorney for GLAD. “Civil unions are inherently unequal, but this bill compounds the harm to same-sex couples, going much further than any other state ever has in carving out a discriminatory exception with the Corvese Amendment.  It does not represent incremental progress, or progress of any kind.

“Governor Chafee needs to stay true to his commitment to equality and veto this bill,” said Loewy.  The bill was passed just days after New York State passed a historic marriage equality law.  Currently Rhode Island and Maine are the only New England states without marriage equality.

Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders is New England’s leading legal organization dedicated to ending discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, and HIV status.