Jim Langevin: Now is the time to redefine marriage in R.I.

Dan82 · Mar 5, 2011

http://www.projo.com/opinion/contributors/content/CT_langevin5_03-05-11_RMMQEKP_v6.1f425de.html

Throughout my career in public service, I have strongly opposed discrimination based on sexual orientation at both the state and federal level, co-sponsoring the Employment Non-Discrimination Act and hate crimes legislation, and supporting efforts to repeal the military’s “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy.

While those topics have been controversial, they never elicited the intensely passionate and emotional debate that occurred as our nation began struggling with the question of same-sex marriage. For many years, I supported civil unions as a reasonable way to achieve consensus on a divisive issue, providing rights and protections to same-sex couples while respecting the deeply held beliefs of those not comfortable with the idea of marriage rights.

Then, three years ago, I attended the commitment ceremony of a longtime staff member and his partner of nine years. Before their friends and family, they professed their love, commitment and respect for each other. Their sentiments were just as moving, heartfelt and sincere as any of the vows I had heard at other weddings, yet I realized that their union would not be treated the same under the law. That difference struck me as fundamentally unjust, and I began to challenge the wisdom of creating separate categories of rights for certain groups of citizens. I began to see that civil unions fell short of the equality I believed that same-sex couples deserved...

http://www.projo.com/opinion/contributors/content/CT_langevin5_03-05-11_RMMQEKP_v6.1f425de.html
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Jim Langevin: Now is the time to redefine marriage in R.I.

Dan82 Full Member

Dan82
Full Member