Senate Bill 38: Rhode Island Republicans Are Fully Backing Gay Marriage

According to ThinkProgress, the Republican Senate Judiciary Committee in Rhode Island has unanimously endorsed Senate Bill 38, a bill that would formally recognize "gay and lesbian couples deserve to be treated equally under the law.:

The Huffington Post reports that the five Republicans in the chamber have released a joint statement stating their support for gay marriage.

"We support Senate Bill 38 because it rightfully extends the civil aspects of marriage to all Rhode Islanders while protecting the freedom of religion our state was founded upon," the letter reads. "Gay and lesbian couples deserve to be treated equally under the law, and at the same time churches, synagogues and mosques in our state must be free to exercise their faith and their sacraments as they see fit. This bill strikes the right balance and should be passed by the Senate."

The bill has been forwarded to the Senate and the vote is expected on Wednesday.

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