Rhode Island governor announces support of domestic partnerships

Just days after vetoing a funeral planning bill for domestic partners, Rhode Island Gov. Don Carcieri stunned many LGBT observers when he said he was open to supporting domestic partnership legislation.

Carcieri met with Queer Action of RI members in his State House office two days after the veto. The governor told the group he was open to supporting a law that would provide same-sex couples many, if not all, of the same rights marriage affords without calling it such.

Local LGBT activists, however, remain unimpressed with Carcieri's apparent turnaround.

"It's still not equal. Marriage is a straight civil-rights issue," Kathy Kushnir, executive director of Marriage Equality Rhode Island, said in response to the governor's surprise comments. "A new perspective would be treating all of the citizens of Rhode Island equally. That's not what he's doing."

Among those meeting with the Governor was Mark Goldberg, the Providence resident whose five-week battle to claim the body of his partner of 17 years from the state morgue, had initiated the legislation Carcieri vetoed.

Goldberg said he tried to show the police and the state medical examiner's office "our wills, living wills, power of attorney and marriage certificate" from Connecticut, but "no one was willing to see these documents."

After Goldberg's testimony, state lawmakers agreed to add funeral-decision rights to the litany of Rhode Island laws that already provide access to health insurance and survivor benefits to domestic partners, with the House voting 63 to 1--state Rep. Arthur Corvese (D-North Providence) was the lone dissenter--and the state Senate voting 38 to 0 in support of the bill.

Queer Action called for the meeting after Carcieri spoke at a Massachusetts Family Institute fundraiser in October for the Massachusetts Family Institute.

"This bill represents a disturbing trend over the past few years of the incremental erosion of the principles surrounding traditional marriage, which is not the preferred way to approach this issue," the governor wrote before he vetoed the bill. "If the General Assembly believes it would like to address the issue of domestic partnerships, it should place the issue on the ballot and let the people of the State of Rhode Island decide."

Carcieri received a barrage of criticism from state officials for his veto. Stephen Colbert also slammed the governor on his show. And openly gay state Rep. Frank Ferri (D-Warwick) described the veto as "an act of cruelty" in a letter he wrote to Carcieri.

"The ability to provide for the final wishes of a departed partner is a matter of civil rights, and it is unfortunate you have allowed your religious beliefs to once again cloud your judgment. Your consistent demonizing of the LGBT community will truly be a blemish on your tenure as governor," Ferri said.

Attorney General Patrick Lynch, who is running for governor also weighed in.

"I can only describe the governor's veto as cruel and heartless," Lynch said. "By vetoing this bill, he has demonstrated that he believes gay and lesbian Rhode Islanders are second-class citizens. If this bill comes before me as Governor, I will sign it immediately."

Former U.S. Sen. Lincoln D. Chafee, a likely gubernatorial candidate himself, also criticized Carcieri's veto.

"As governor, I will fight to ensure all gay and lesbian Rhode Islanders have the same liberties and freedoms as every other American, including funeral rights," Chafee said.

Openly gay Democratic House Majority Leader Gordon Fox said he would favor an override of the Carcieri's veto when the legislature reconvenes next month.