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The State Senate has approved marriage equality legislation by a 26-12 vote. After a concurring vote by the House, which has already approved similar legislation, the bill will go to Governor Lincoln Chaffee, who has promised to sign it into law.

Once that happens, the Ocean State will become the last in the Northeast to win the freedom to marry for gay and lesbian citizens. This move has been a long time coming. Back in late 2008, in the wake of Proposition 8, GLAD launched a “six by twelve” campaign to enact marriage equality in all six northeast states by 2012. Well, it took a couple months longer, but now at last the goal has been achieved.

Yesterday, the Senate’s Republican Caucus announced it unanimously supported the legislation, making it the first legislative caucus of any political party in any state to unanimously support the freedom to marry.

A recent poll by Public Policy Polling showed 57% of voters support the freedom to marry in RI, with just 35% opposed.

Watch this video of the vote:

The Mercury News has published a delightful profile of Prop. 8 plaintiffs Sandy Stier and Kris Perry. An excerpt:

Inside Kristin Perry and Sandy Stier’s cozy, hillside bungalow, the signs of a typical domestic life are everywhere: photos of vacations and their four sons on the mantel and walls; snacks of Naan for their hungry teenager in the kitchen; “Moms Rock!” and “You can’t scare me — I have children” magnets on the refrigerator.

But resting visibly on a coffee table are powerful reminders that this tableau of family life is unsettled, and that this same-sex couple of 13 years is set to make history next week as the legal battle over California’s Proposition 8 heads to the U.S. Supreme Court.

There’s a wedding album brimming with blissful pictures of their 2004 marriage at San Francisco City Hall — a marriage voided when the courts quickly blocked then-Mayor Gavin Newsom’s rebellious, short-lived move to issue marriage licenses to gay and lesbian couples. And next to the album is a bound legal brief filed earlier this year in the Supreme Court, signed by their famous lawyers, Theodore Olson and David Boies.

Read the entire piece here.

Bipartisan support for marriage equality continues to grow, with a high-profile Republican coming out for marriage this week. President Obama comments the marriage cases before the Supreme Court, while new legislation advances in Colorado, Minnesota, and Rhode Island.

At the American Foundation for Equal Rights, I’m Matt Baume, and welcome to Marriage News Watch for March 18, 2013.

There’s stronger bipartisan support for marriage equality than ever before, starting this week with President Obama. In an interview with Nightline, the President said that nondiscrimination is a core value of the Constitution, specifically citing the Equal Protection Clause.

He added that he couldn’t think of a situation in which a state ban on marriage equality could be constitutional.

This closely matches the arguments made by AFER’s team on behalf of its plaintiffs, Kris and Sandy and Paul and Jeff.

Paul and Jeff were both prominently featured in a Washington Post profile this week. Calling them “the ideal plaintiffs,” the paper observed that, like tens of thousands of other couples, they’re just regular folks who fell in love and want to get married.

And that same desire for equality is what prompted Ohio Republican Senator Rob Portman to come out for marriage this week. Citing his support for his gay son, Portman’s stance is a complete turnaround. In the past, he’s voted to oppose marriage equality and adoption. He’s now the first sitting Republican senator in Congress to support the freedom to marry.

There’s also big news from the states this week. The Colorado House voed 29 to 26 in favor of civil unions. The bill now goes to Governor John Hickenlooper to sign. Once enacted, the new law will go into effect on May first.

A marriage bill passed House and Senate committees in Minnesota this week. It’s now headed for a full vote in both chambers.

Rhode Island’s Senate Judicary Committee is scheduled to hear a marriage bill on Thursday, the 21st.

And a new survey in Pennsylvania from Public Policy Polling shows 45 percent support marriage equality with 47 percent opposed. That continues a gradual trend in the state of growing support over the last decade.

Those are the headlines. We’re just one week away from argument before the Supreme Court. AFER will be your best source for breaking news around argument and the eventual decision. Follow us here on YouTube and at AFER.org to get all the info you need from news alerts to legal documents.

At the American Foundation for Equal Rights, I’m Matt Baume. See you next week.

It’s a familiar face: Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Clinton has already shown herself to be a staunch ally, having previously reformed State Department policies to be more LGBT-inclusive. She was also a supporter of work to enact a marriage equality bill in New York.

And now, she says, she supports federal marriage equality “personally and as a matter of law.”

Read the full statement below:

A little over a year ago in Geneva, I told the nations of the world that gay rights are human rights and human rights are gay rights… and that the United States would be a leader in defending those rights.  Now there were some countries that did not want to hear that.  But I believe America is at its best when we champion the freedom and dignity of every human being.  That’s who we are.  It’s in our DNA.  And as Secretary of State, I had the privilege to represent that America.

I will never forget the young Tunisian who asked me after the revolution in his country how America could teach his new democracy to protect the rights of its LGBT citizens.  He saw America as an example for the world, and as a beacon of hope.

That’s what was in my mind as I engaged in some tough conversations with foreign leaders who did not accept that human rights apply to everyone, gay and straight.  When I directed our diplomats around the world to combat repressive laws and reach out to the brave activists fighting on the frontlines.  And when I changed State Department policy to ensure that our LGBT families are treated more fairly.

Traveling the world these past four years reaffirmed and deepened my pride in our country and the ideals we stand for.  It also inspired and challenged me to think anew about who we are and the values we represent to the world.  Now, having left public office, I want to share some of what I’ve learned, and what I’ve come to believe.

For America to continue leading in the world, there is work we must do here at home.  That means investing in our people, our economy, our national security.  It also means working every day, as citizens, as communities, as a country, to live up to our highest ideals and continue our long march to a more perfect union.

LGBT Americans are our colleagues, our teachers, our soldiers, our friends, our loved ones.  And they are full and equal citizens and they deserve the rights of citizenship.   That includes marriage.  That’s why I support marriage for lesbian and gay couples.   I support it personally and as a matter of policy and law, embedded in a broader effort to advance equality and opportunity for LGBT Americans and all Americans.

Like so many others, my personal views have been shaped over time by people I have known and loved.  By my experience representing our nation on the world stage, my devotion to law and human rights, and the guiding principles of my faith.

Marriage afterall is a fundamental building block of our society, a great joy and yes, a great responsibility.  A few years ago, Bill and I celebrated as our own daughter married the love of her life, and I wish every parent the same joy.  To deny that opportunity to any of our daughters and sons solely on the basis of who they are and who they love is to deny them the chance to live up to their own God-given potential.

Throughout our history, as our nation has become even more dedicated to the protection of liberty and justice for all, more open to the contributions of all our citizens, it has also become stronger, more competitive, more ready for the future.  It benefits every American when we continue on that path.

I know that many in our country are still struggle to reconcile the teachings of their religion, the pull of their conscience, and the personal experiences they have in their families and communities.  And people of good will and good faith will continue to view this issue differently.  So I hope that as we discuss and debate, whether it’s around a kitchen table or in the public square, we do so in a spirit of respect and understanding.  Conversations with our friends, our families, our congregations, our coworkers, are opportunities to share our own reflections and to invite others to share theirs.  They give us a chance to find that common ground and a path forward.

For those of us who lived through the long years of the civil rights and women’s rights movements, the speed with which more and more people have come to embrace the dignity and equality of LGBT Americans has been breathtaking and inspiring.  We see it all around us every day, in major cultural statements and in quiet family moments.

But the journey is far from over, and therefore we must keep working to make our country freer and fairer, and to continue to inspire the faith the world puts in our leadership.  In doing so, we will keep moving closer and closer to that more perfect union promised to us all.  Thank you.

“I have come to believe that if two people are prepared to make a lifetime commitment to love and care for each other in good times and in bad, the government shouldn’t deny them the opportunity to get married,” he wrote.

Portman said he and Jane were both surprised to learn that their son is gay, but he said they were “very supportive of him,” adding that they wanted Will to “know we were 100 percent supportive and we love him. He’s an amazing young man.”

“If anything, I’m even more proud of the way he has handled the whole situation.”

Portman had to deal with his position on the issue just two months later, when a group of students at the University of Michigan Law School protested his selection as a graduation speaker because of what they called his “openly hostile” position on gay rights. According to local media reports, more than 100 students walked out of the ceremony because they disagreed with his opposition to gay marriage.

Read more: https://bit.ly/140iDrw

Although the military has worked to make progress toward equality – namely through former Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta’s recent extension of certain benefits to same-sex couples and the repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell – DOMA prevents the military from treating gay and lesbian military couples equally. Because DOMA defines marriage for federal purposes as “between one man and one woman,” same-sex military couples cannot qualify for many protections available to other couples, including health care, housing assistance, primary next of kin status, and survivor’s benefits.

Outserve-SLDN and the Center for American Progress (CAP) have jointly authored a report about the ways in which DOMA discriminates against gay and lesbian military couples, called, “Collateral Damage: How the Defense of Marriage Act Harms the Troops and Undermines the U.S. Military.”

We’ve got lots of good news this week, from an op-ed by President Clinton to progress on Colorado’s civil unions. Plus a slew of favorable polls shows momentum building in key states, and opposition shrinking into just a few tightly-knit pockets. All that plus we’re counting down to oral argument in AFER’s Prop 8 case.

At the American Foundation for Equal Rights, I’m Matt Baume, and welcome to Marriage News Watch for March 11, 2013.

It’s been a great week for marriage equality, starting with an op-ed by President Clinton about the Defense of Marriage Act. The President signed DOMA during his first term but now, he says, “I have come to believe the DOMA is … incompatible with our Constitution.” He goes on, “it should be overturned.”

The US Supreme Court will hear oral argument in a case challenging DOMA on March 27, one day after it hears argument in AFER’s case to overturn Prop 8.

The next good news is a new study showing that in almost all cases, legislators who support marriage equality go on to win re-election. The research by Third Way shows that 97% of equality supporters retain their seats, with a success rate of 85% for Republicans.

And there’s lots of positive polling data this week: respected bipartisan pollsters Joel Benenson and Jan van Lohuizen found that opposition to marriage equality is shrinking into small-tightly concentrated demographic groups. Those groups include the very elderly, white evangelical Christians, and non-college-educated whites. These pockets of resistance were once much broader, but are quickly dwindling into small, very specific groups.

And a Quinnipiac survey shows growing support for marriage among Catholics. Fifty-four percent support the freedom to marry, with just 38 percent opposed. That’s down from 56% in a 2011 PRRI survey.

We also have encouraging new polls in several states, including some you might not expect. A survey in Texas continues a trend in favor of marriage, with 47.9 support. That’s a jump from 42.7 percent just three years ago.

Voters in Delaware overwhelmingly support the freedom to marry, 54 to 37 percent. Delaware legislators will likely introduce a marriage bill this year, which Governor Jack Markell has pledged to sign.

And the last bit of good news this week comes from Colorado, where a civil unions bill has passed the House Judiciary Committee, 8 to 3, and the House Finance Committee, 7 to 6. Now it’s on to the House Appropriations Committee, and from there finally to a full House vote.

We’ll be tracking all of these stories closely over the coming weeks, but of course the big news is oral argument before the Supreme Court on March 26. Subscribe here on YouTube, and head over to AFER.org to support the case to overturn Prop 8. And remember to hit Share and Like so we can keep getting the word out about all this important work.

At the American Foundation for Equal Rights, I’m Matt Baume. See you next week.

We’ve got lots of good news this week, from an op-ed by President Clinton to progress on Colorado’s civil unions. Plus a slew of favorable polls shows momentum building in key states, and opposition shrinking into just a few tightly-knit pockets. All that plus we’re counting down to oral argument in AFER’s Prop 8 case.

At the American Foundation for Equal Rights, I’m Matt Baume, and welcome to Marriage News Watch for March 11, 2013.

It’s been a great week for marriage equality, starting with an op-ed by President Clinton about the Defense of Marriage Act. The President signed DOMA during his first term but now, he says, “I have come to believe the DOMA is … incompatible with our Constitution.” He goes on, “it should be overturned.”

The US Supreme Court will hear oral argument in a case challenging DOMA on March 27, one day after it hears argument in AFER’s case to overturn Prop 8.

The next good news is a new study showing that in almost all cases, legislators who support marriage equality go on to win re-election. The research by Third Way shows that 97% of equality supporters retain their seats, with a success rate of 85% for Republicans.

And there’s lots of positive polling data this week: respected bipartisan pollsters Joel Benenson and Jan van Lohuizen found that opposition to marriage equality is shrinking into small-tightly concentrated demographic groups. Those groups include the very elderly, white evangelical Christians, and non-college-educated whites. These pockets of resistance were once much broader, but are quickly dwindling into small, very specific groups.

And a Quinnipiac survey shows growing support for marriage among Catholics. Fifty-four percent support the freedom to marry, with just 38 percent opposed. That’s down from 56% in a 2011 PRRI survey.

We also have encouraging new polls in several states, including some you might not expect. A survey in Texas continues a trend in favor of marriage, with 47.9 support. That’s a jump from 42.7 percent just three years ago.

Voters in Delaware overwhelmingly support the freedom to marry, 54 to 37 percent. Delaware legislators will likely introduce a marriage bill this year, which Governor Jack Markell has pledged to sign.

And the last bit of good news this week comes from Colorado, where a civil unions bill has passed the House Judiciary Committee, 8 to 3, and the House Finance Committee, 7 to 6. Now it’s on to the House Appropriations Committee, and from there finally to a full House vote.

We’ll be tracking all of these stories closely over the coming weeks, but of course the big news is oral argument before the Supreme Court on March 26. Subscribe here on YouTube, and head over to AFER.org to support the case to overturn Prop 8. And remember to hit Share and Like so we can keep getting the word out about all this important work.

At the American Foundation for Equal Rights, I’m Matt Baume. See you next week.

Here are some highlights:

On March 27, DOMA will come before the Supreme Court, and the justices must decide whether it is consistent with the principles of a nation that honors freedom, equality and justice above all, and is therefore constitutional. As the president who signed the act into law, I have come to believe that DOMA is contrary to those principles and, in fact, incompatible with our Constitution.

I know now that, even worse than providing an excuse for discrimination, the law is itself discriminatory. It should be overturned.

Americans have been at this sort of a crossroads often enough to recognize the right path. We understand that, while our laws may at times lag behind our best natures, in the end they catch up to our core values. One hundred fifty years ago, in the midst of the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln concluded a message to Congress by posing the very question we face today: “It is not ‘Can any of us imagine better?’ but ‘Can we all do better?’ ”

The answer is of course and always yes. Read the full op/ed >