Get ready, Rhode Island, because “gay marriage” may soon be headed your way.
Of course, you didn’t have a say in it, as it was decided by the enlightened legislators and Governor Duval Patrick of our neighboring state of Massachusetts. On July 29, by a margin of 119 to 36, the Massachusetts House voted to repeal the 1913 law governing marriages in Massachusetts by non-residents. This move would allow same-sex couples from other states that do not recognize same-sex marriage to marry there, and then return home to file lawsuits to change their home state's marriage laws.
Supporters of the repeal admitted after the House vote that Massachusetts now will become the “Las Vegas of gay marriage,” saying that it will be good for the economy. In a statement released prior to the Senate vote, the Catholic Bishops of Massachusetts, one of the few voices of common sense in opposing the repeal, rightfully pointed out: “Our legislature is attempting to impose the Supreme Judicial Court’s definition of marriage upon other states. Such action endangers the principle of state sovereignty that gives each state the right to govern itself and enact its own laws. Massachusetts enjoys this same protection and rightly would not tolerate its violation by another state.”
We commend the courageous legislators who voted against the repeal in spite of threats and intimidation by “gay marriage” advocates. However, they stood virtually alone among their colleagues in the Massachusetts legislature, which is firmly controlled by the radical gay agenda that seeks to redefine marriage and family life not only in Massachusetts but also across the nation. The creation of the “New Gay Las Vegas” in the State of Massachusetts is not only a dark day in the Bay State but has cast an ominous shadow over many other states, especially Rhode Island. There’s no doubt this latest achievement by the “gay marriage” lobby will embolden the effort to redefine marriage and replace the traditional family unit here.
We hope that Governor Don Carcieri and the Rhode Island General Assembly begin to heed the call for passage of a Defense of Marriage Act. There is now great urgency to protect our state’s legal sovereignty and ensure the protection of marriage and family life in the Ocean State. It would be a truly dark day if the State of Rhode Island were to become the “New Gay Reno” because of the radical actions of the politicians of Massachusetts. We encourage all Rhode Island Catholics to urge their legislators to support the Defense of Marriage Act before we see marriage destroyed in our midst.
