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Amendment Would Negate Civil Union’s Law In Rhode Island

Posted by: Bridgette P. LaVictoire on June 27, 2011.

06/27/11-by Bridgette P. LaVictoire

Religious exemptions have not been uncommon when it comes to marriage equality legislation, but the one in Rhode Island appears to be going far beyond the pale with regards to trying to protect people’s religious beliefs. In this case, it is trying to allow people to completely ignore civil unions based upon religious beliefs. The Corvese Amendment adds insult to injury. To begin with, Rhode Island is not going for Civil Rights entirely, but this, according to ThinkProgress, would mean that “religiously affiliated schools, hospitals, and businesses could completely ignore any civil union and deny couples the rights those unions are meant to accord.”

The amendment has been strongly condemned by Marriage Equality Rhode Island. It reads:

15-3.1-5. Conscience and religious organizations protected. – (a) Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, no religious or denominational organization, no organization operated for charitable or educational purpose which is supervised or controlled by or in connection with a religious organization, and no individual employed by any of the foregoing organizations, while acting in the scope of that employment, shall be required:

(1) To provide services, accommodations, advantages, facilities, goods, or privileges for a purpose related to the solemnization, certification, or celebration of any civil union; or

(2) To solemnize or certify any civil union; or

(3) To treat as valid any civil union; if such providing, solemnizing, certifying, or treating as valid would cause such organizations or individuals to violate their sincerely held religious beliefs.

(b) No organization or individual as described in subsection (a) above who fails or refuses to provide, solemnize, certify, or treat as valid, as described in subdivision (a)(1), (a)(2) or (a)(3) above, persons in a civil union, shall be subject to a fine, penalty, or other cause of action for such failure or refusal.

In essence, this amendment will negate civil unions entirely. This is, of course, the aim of those who wish to prevent equality. They will do anything that they can in order to make sure that the lives of same-sex couples are as miserable as possible.

Given this, and the unpopularity of civil unions in Rhode Island, it now seems even less likely that this bill will advance at all.