Rhode Island legislators have received a letter from the National Organization for Marriage - Rhode Island (NOM-RI) urging them to vote against overriding the Governor's veto of a bill that will allow domestic partners to obtain each other's bodies and plan each other's funerals.

This letter is written proof that NOM-RI is an organization that seeks to limit the rights of gay Rhode Islanders even when the bill in question has nothing to do with marriage. NOM-RI makes a convoluted argument that this bill will somehow lead to same-sex marriage and shows total disregard for the people who will be helped by this new law - both gay and straight.

In addition and most horrible, this letter insults Mark Goldberg, the man whose story brought about this bill. Mark was forced to fight for five weeks to obtain his partner's body from the state of RI even though he had legal paperwork such as wills and power of attorney. The NOM-RI letter claims: "Rather than being compassionate, the legislation in question is actually an exploitation of Mr. Goldberg's tragedy by the homosexual-marriage activists in Rhode Island."

The inference that Mark is a pawn being used by us "homosexual-marriage activists" is an insult to his intelligence. Mark is a smart, caring man who is quite capable of making his own decisions. He doesn't want any one else to go through what he did and he has been fully involved in the fight to get this bill passed and the Governor's veto overridden. NOM-RI should be ashamed of its treatment of Mark.

NOM-RI claims this bill is a conspiracy by Rhode Island and national "homosexual-marriage activists." They write: "In California and Connecticut similar strategies were followed by the homosexual-marriage agenda in achieving court ordered decrees that those states fully recognize homosexual-marriage. Those courts found that when rights of domestic partners, under either that nomenclature or as "civil-unions," were expanded beyond the already accepted realm of State and Municipal employees and their benefit arrangements, that the State must by extension fully recognize homosexual marriage."

First of all, no gay rights activists were even in involved in getting this bill submitted and passed. Mark and his Representative and Senator did that. Queer Action of RI wasn't even in existence when this bill was submitted and passed nearly unanimously in the House and Senate in Spring 2009. Queer Action formed in August 2009 and got involved when the Governor vetoed the bill in November 2009.

NOM-RI displays its own real agenda in this letter: to stop gay people from being equal citizens. Why oppose a bill that will only help people and hurt no one? Why use the word "homosexual" instead of the more accepted "gay?" Why refer to a "homosexual-marriage agenda?" - an obvious attempt to further the conspiracy idea and make it seem as though gay people are actually out to force change on and hurt straight people. Through their word choices, NOM-RI is trying to make gay people appear strange and different.

This letter makes clear that NOM-RI is also against civil unions and domestic partnership - they aren't fighting to "protect" marriage, they are fighting to stop any legal recognition of gay couples. They are fighting to keep gay Rhode Islanders deep in the closet, afraid and alone.

But NOM-RI should know that their tactics won't work on the gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender (GLBT) and allies community in RI. We are strong and vibrant. We are not afraid. We are proud. And we will continue to fight for our rights no matter what they try to do to us. 

Get involved and show NOM-RI that they can't scare us: Come to the State House on Tuesday (Jan. 5) at 2 pm and/or 4 pm to witness the veto override vote. You can also send your name, address, telephone, and email for our mailing list to: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Below is the full text of the NOM-RI letter. Kudos to Pam's House Blend for being first to print this letter.

December 31, 2009

Re: Domestic Partners/Funeral Arrangements (SB195/HB5294)

Dear Representative [Name]

It has come to the understanding of The National Organization for Marriage - Rhode Island that the House has scheduled a vote to override the Governor's veto of SB 195 and HB 5294.  NOM - Rhode Island urges you to vote to sustain this veto.

NOM - Rhode Island recognizes that the situation that befell Mr. Goldberg was indeed tragic. NOM - RI also trusts that the mistakes that led to this heartbreaking story will never be repeated.

However, the proposed legislation simply is not necessary to avoid such a repetition.

The right of any person, without regard to sexual preference or relationship to the decedent, to serve as a designated funeral-planning agent is already expressly guaranteed by Rhode Island Law 5-33.1-4. That statute only requires a simple notarized form naming an agent. By law, that agent's designation must be honored by medical examiners, funeral homes and presumably even the obituary page of The Providence Journal.

Rather than being compassionate, the legislation in question is actually an exploitation of Mr. Goldberg's tragedy by the homosexual-marriage activists in Rhode Island.  Despite their claims to the contrary, these bills serve simply as "Trojan Horses" for homosexual-marriage.  In California and Connecticut similar strategies were followed by the homosexual-marriage agenda in achieving court ordered decrees that those states fully recognize homosexual-marriage.  Those courts found that when rights of domestic partners, under either that nomenclature or as "civil-unions," were expanded beyond the already accepted realm of State and Municipal employees and their benefit arrangements, that the State must by extension fully recognize homosexual marriage.  Legal analysis to support this statement has been provided to Speaker of the House Murphy and is available from NOM - Rhode Island upon request.

As such, NOM - Rhode Island respectfully requests that you vote to sustain the Governor's veto both to avoid creating unnecessary law and to not move Rhode Island closer to recognizing homosexual-marriage.

If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact me at 401-228-7602 over the holiday weekend.

With warm regards for a Happy New Year,

Christopher C. Plante

Executive Director

National Organization for Marriage - Rhode Island 
10 Dorrence Street, Suite 809 
Providence, Rhode Island 02903