Activists from all over the state, including members of the Brown Democrats and Queer Alliance, assembled at the State House yesterday to "get engaged" in the fight for marriage equality in Rhode Island. Politicians and citizens alike expressed support for the legal recognition of same-sex marriage at the Valentine's Day rally, which was spearheaded by Marriage Equality RI.
Student groups including the Brown Democrats marched demonstrators down to the State House early in the afternoon.
The rally took place in the main atrium of the State House and began with a musical lineup that included such Valentine's Day standards as The Beatles' "All You Need is Love."
MERI passed out pink carnations, stickers and postcards addressed to state legislators, thus encouraging attendees to contact their government representatives to show support for the pending legislation in the Senate. MERI also passed out heart-shaped posters with a variety of messages ranging from "Married for 42 years" to "How does my marriage affect the sanctity of yours?"
This year, a bill known as DOMA, or the "Defense of Marriage Act," was submitted in the General Assembly. If passed, the DOMA would prohibit same-sex marriages in the state and also prohibit the state from recognizing same-sex marriages officiated in other states. A bill that legally recognizes same-sex marriages has also been introduced. The marriage equality bill has six sponsors so far, whereas the DOMA currently has three. "We still don't have the support of the governor or of the leadership in the House or the Senate," said Jenn Steinfeld, the co-chair of MERI's campaign.
The campaign first began in November of 2003, and MERI has held rallies every year since then. This is the first one to take place on Valentine's Day. "This is by far the largest turnout we've ever seen," Steinfeld said, estimating that between 600 and 700 people attended the rally.
The lineup of speakers included District 3 State Sen. Rhoda Perry, a Democrat, Reverend T. Michael Rock of the United Church of Christ and speakers from the Providence Youth Student Movement and Youth Pride, among others.
Nancy Rose, a longtime gay and lesbian rights activitist from South County, R.I. was the first speaker. "It's gonna happen," she said. "And people are going to be embarrassed just like your parents and grandparents are ashamed now when they look back on slavery and the Holocaust."
Seth Magaziner '06, former president of the Brown Democrats, spoke on behalf of the College Democrats of Rhode Island, emphasizing the bipartisan nature of the fight for marriage equality.
Other speakers encouraged attendees to go out and contact their legislators and stressed that marriage equality is a fundamental civil right. Several speakers noted the relevance of the marriage equality rally in the wake of civil rights activist Coretta Scott King's funeral.
Supporters came from all over Rhode Island to show support for MERI's cause. Beth and Russ Milham, longtime supporters of LGBTQ civil rights, drove to the State House from their home in Newport and said that they were "energized" by the large crowd.
The Queer Political Action Committee, a subset of the Queer Alliance, also organized students to walk to the event. "Some of our members are marriage supporters, and others are not," said Josh Teitelbaum '08, co-president of the Queer Alliance.
Carolyn Mark, a mother from Providence, attended the rally with her husband and two children, ages four and seven. "Marriage equality is the easiest thing to explain to children," she said, "They have friends with two dads and friends with two moms and they understand the basic desire to want a family."
"The youth of America has completely decided this issue," said U.S. Senate candidate Sheldon Whitehouse, a Democrat, who attended the rally along with his Democratic opposition, Secretary of State Matt Brown. "Nobody should have to live in the shadows," Whitehouse said.
Marriage equality "is a logical next step in our civil rights struggle," said Peter Quesnel, who is one of 35 members of MERI's coordinating committee and has attended the MERI rally for the past two years. "Each year the crowd gets bigger," he added, also noting that the "Valentine's Day spirit" contributed greatly to the celebratory attitude of the event this year.
