Despite political opposition, Rhode Island began allowing unregistered domestic partnerships in 2002 that provided a small number of legal benefits to same-sex couples.
[2] In February 2007, Attorney General Patrick C. Lynch issued an opinion advising that same-sex marriages performed in Massachusetts be recognized in Rhode Island.
The ruling was a response to a 1913 law that prohibited Massachusetts from performing marriages that were not legal in the couple's home state.
[14][15] The legislation included extensive and controversial exemptions that allowed any religiously affiliated organization or institution, such as schools, universities and hospitals, to deny recognition of spouses in a civil union, which made it unpopular with advocates of same-sex marriage.
In 2004, Representative Arthur Handy and Senator Rhoda Perry introduced same-sex marriage legislation to the General Assembly.
Governor Lincoln Chafee, an independent at the time, had previously indicated that he would sign such legislation if it were approved by the Assembly.
[23][24] On January 3, 2013, Representative Arthur Handy and Senator Donna Nesselbush introduced legislation to legalize same-sex marriage.
[25][26] On January 7, the Roman Catholic Bishop of Providence, Thomas Tobin, called the legislation "immoral and unnecessary" and recommended a referendum over enacting same-sex marriage by statute.
[28] The Episcopal Bishop of Rhode Island, Nicholas Knisely, said he was "eager to see our state legislature join many others across the country in passing legislation to ensure civil marriage equality.
[33] On April 23, all 5 Republican state senators announced their support for the legislation—the first time a party's caucus in a state legislature had supported same-sex marriage unanimously[34]—and the Senate Judiciary Committee approved the legislation in a 7–4 vote, while defeating a proposal to present the issue to voters as a referendum.
[41][42][43] Bishop Tobin reiterated his opposition the same day and wrote a letter to Rhode Island Catholics that said "homosexual acts are ... always sinful" and advised that "Catholics should examine their consciences very carefully before deciding whether or not to endorse same-sex relationships or attend same-sex ceremonies.
"[18] The legislation took effect on August 1, 2013,[18] with the first marriage licenses issued to same-sex couples when offices opened at 8:30 a.m. that day.
It is unclear if same-sex marriage is legal on the reservation as tribal officials have not publicly commented on the issue.
[47] While there are no records of same-sex marriages as understood from a Western perspective being performed in Native American cultures, there is evidence for identities and behaviours that may be placed on the LGBT spectrum.
Many of these cultures recognized two-spirit individuals who were born male but wore women's clothing and performed everyday household work and artistic handiwork which were regarded as belonging to the feminine sphere.
[48] Two-spirit people are referred to as neese manitouog or noh waashpit (which literally translates to "he is effeminate") in Narragansett.