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01/04/2010

Low Rhode from the National Organization For [Making Bereavement Processes Exponentially More Excruciating]

by Jeremy Hooper

Do you remember when Rhode Island governor Don Carcieri vetoed a bill that would've done little more than ensure that same-sex couples can bury their late partners with dignity? And do you also remember the countless times that the National Organization For Marriage has claimed that their homo-hostile fight is solely about their desire to "preserve" the institution, not to wipe out LGBT rights in general? Yea, well: Take those two memories and adjust them for 2010. For Carcieri's veto is now coming back into light via a new legislative attempt to override it, while NOM's supposedly limited mission is becoming more elucidated under this same restored glare.

This letter comes from NOM-Rhode Island's Christopher Plante:

31 December 2009



Re: Domestic Partners/Funeral Arrangements (SB 195/HB5294)



Dear Representative Ferri,



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...

KEEP READING: NOM-RI Pressures Legislators Not To Override Carcieri's Funeral Rights Veto [PHB]

So NOM is claiming that this funeral bill is a secret plot to get marriage equality? Okay, well, that just shows us exactly why we gay folk can never work with any of these anti-marriage groups on anything LGBT related, even when they claim that "traditional marriage" is their only goal. Because to them, our every gain is a supposed blow at "the institution™." We get a protection of any sort (from hate crimes to hangnails), and they immediately start working their "slippery slope" talking points. It doesn't matter how minor the victory. Since they know that the ultimate goal of marriage equality holds a broad consensus within the LGBT community, our every creep forward is seen by them as a some sort of "attack" on heterosexuals' ring fingers.

The truth: NOM is as much against the full spectrum of LGBT rights as is Focus on the Family, Family Research Council, or any of the other far-right outfits who hijack the very idea of kinship for their own myopic gains. NOM may link it all back to marriage. But at the end of the day, it's the union of human being to LGB orientation (or T identity) that they truly hope to annul.

***UPDATE: From Rhode Island State Rep. David Segal:

"NOM's revolting stand on this issue should be broadcast far and wide, wherever they work in opposition to gay marriage."

Rhode Island to Buck National Organization for Marriage, Override Veto of Domestic Partner Death Rights [Huff Po]

**SEE ALSO: A taste of Christopher Plante:

Your thoughts

I decided to spoof NOM Rhode Island's above letter in the following parody video that switches out gay couples with couples who have sex before they're married: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r8nkCKBenfU

Posted by: Sean Chapin | Jan 4, 2010 8:46:06 AM

Okay, WTF?! Allowing one's surviving spouse to bury them is "a Trojan Horse" for marriage equality in ...RI.?! NOM never seems to anwser, explicitly, WHY the GLBT Comm. should be forced to jump through hoops that hets. do not! Why is separate-but-(un)equal supposed to be good enough for us? Despite this, NOM claims that saving "traditional; marriage" is their only goal; however, they have also gone after any state which has legalized second class status, such as Civil unions and Domestic Partnerships, which is strange, because ol' mags has said that she is fine with those! Gods, it would be great if the media actually went after NOM in the same way that our ol' cutie and Blogger extraordinaire, Jeremey is! The news media is allowing us to be quietly assaulted; yet, I hold the hope that if this were common knowledge on the national state, there might be an out-cry to stop this from our het. brothers and sisters that see it, truly, as an injustice, but maybe are unaware of it... I NEED to hold on to that hope!

Posted by: Wade MacMorrighan | Jan 4, 2010 1:44:43 PM

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