Six By Twelve: Update

For those who don't know, Six by Twelve (term coined by Joe.My.God.) is a strategy to make New England a full marriage equality zone by 2012.

Rhode Island just started down their path, and is officially the last New England state that we had not heard from in the quest for marriage equality. (Mass -- done; Conn -- done; VT/NH/ME -- laws proposed, court cases ready)

Welcome RI to the fray:

The fight for marriage equality in the Ocean State will be front and center on Thursday,February 26, as the Senate Judiciary Committee hears testimony pertaining to two bills - one prohibiting same-sex marriage and the other granting equal access to marriage for same-gender couples.

S0136, introduced by anti-gay Senator Leo Blais (R-Coventry), would amend the state constitution to limit the definition of marriage as "the legal union between one man and one woman as husband and wife."

In addition, the measure would prohibit the state from recognizing same-sex marriages performed in other states.

Blais has sponsored similar legislation in the past and has been an outspoken opponent of same-sex marriage.

S0147, introduced by Senators Rhoda Perry (D-Providence), Susan Sosnowski (D-New Shoreham), Juan Pichardo (D-Providence), Joshua Miller (D-Cranston), and Charles Levesque(D-Bristol), would allow the state to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples. The bill also guarantees protection of freedom of religion in marriage, stating:

"No court or other state or local governmental body, entity, agency or commission shall compel, prevent, or interfere in any way with any religious
institution’s decisions about marriage eligibility within that particular faith’s tradition."

"Anything less than full marriage equality is discrimination," Miller said. "This is about your friends, neighbors, and relatives being discriminated against."

Oh yea, kids, there are two bills. My guess, though, is that people will feel its an all-or-nothing type thing and then some "brilliant" "compromising" statesman will step forward and say, "I have a solution! Let's do civil unions!"

And we all know how that goes.

But seriously, folks, what's with all the "discrimination" talk coming from the Christian right. This from the religion that has persecuted everyone -- including themselves -- throughout history? Now you're concerned about a little man-on-man, or woman-on-woman love that threatens to destroy your world? Seriously. No one is discriminating against you.

Just laughing at you.

After all, it seems like all the big couples stirring up this marriage trouble end a few weeks after they get wed, so, no big deal, right? Oh, right, divorce bad too...

In other news, apparently the threat of death because of someone's sexual orientation is not enough to grant someone asylum in this country. Details, no doubt.