Overview

Another state finally recognizes the freedom to marry, bringing the national total to ten. With work accelerating in Delaware and Illinois, that could increase to eleven or twelve in the next few weeks. Civil unions start in Colorado, and a civil union bill in tiny Arizona town could bring about civil unions for the whole state.

Transcript

Another state finally recognizes the freedom to marry, bringing the national total to ten. With work accelerating in Delaware and Illinois, that could increase to eleven or twelve in the next few weeks. Civil unions start in Colorado, and a civil union bill in tiny Arizona town could bring about civil unions for the whole state.

At the American Foundation for Equal Rights, I’m Matt Baume, and welcome to Marriage News Watch for May 6, 2013.

It’s a huge victory in Rhode Island this week, as years of work culminate in the passage of a marriage equality bill. The Rhode Island legislature has considered marriage bills every year since 1997. Now it’s finally the tenth state where gay and lesbian couples can wed. Marriage equality now covers the entire northeast, about 14 and a half million people.

Rhode Island weddings will start on August First.

But another state may beat them to the punch. Delaware’s Senate is scheduled to vote on a marriage bill on Tuesday, and if it passes weddings there could start in July. This vote could be very close. With several legislators declining to state their position, it could still go down in defeat. Visit EqualityDelaware.org to find out how you can help support it.

We may also see a vote in Illinois this month. Governor Patrick Quinn has been lobbying heavily for a marriage bill. He estimates that a roll call on SB10 could come before the end of May. But as in Delaware, the vote in Illinois could be close, and defeat is still a real possibility. Visit EQIL.org to support the effort there.

Civil unions launched last week in Colorado. Couples lined up at midnight to get licenses, with officials expecting that thousands of couples may take advantage of the new protections. Now work turns toward full equality in Colorado. A Public Policy Polling survey from last April showed 53% support for marriage, with 40% opposed.

We’ve also seen some movement towards civil unions in neighboring Arizona. Despite initial resistance from the state Attorney General, the small artist town of Bisbee is working on a limited civil unions ordinance. Although it would fall far short of full equality, which the state constitution prohibits, Bisbee’s law could be used as a model for other Arizona towns seeking to protect LGBT families. A Public Policy Polling survey from 2011 showed that 72% of Arizonans support some form of relationship recognition.

And Oregon is about a year and a half away from voting on a marriage equality ballot measure. Early polling is encouraging, with 49 percent supporting marriage and 42 percent opposed. But there’s still lots of time for those numbers to change. Basic Rights Oregon is leading the charge, visit BasicRights.org to support their work.

Meanwhile we’re closer than ever to resolution on the Prop 8 and DOMA cases. Subscribe here on YouTube and at AFER.org for breaking news alerts and to find out how you can help support the cause of equality for all.

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