Even though I don't support Civil Unions, because they aren't enough Gay people should be given complete marriage rights, but In Rhode Island a bill passed to give civil unions to Gay couples in that state. Now that means that all the new England states either have full marriage or civil unions. Hawaii and Delaware will allow Civil unions in 2012. Of course this still isn't enough the majority of state's still don't give anything to gay people in respects of civil unions or marriage, but at least thanks to the momentum of New York some progress is being done, and hopefully more states will soon allow full marriage equality. In some states like Texas it has in it's constitution no same sex marriage or civil unions. That would mean a vote would have to be held to overturn that piece of constitution in order to allow it.
Meanwhile, gay rights activists -- like Marriage Equality Rhode Island
-- say that while they support the civil union bill, they would prefer
legislation that permits same-sex couples to wed.
Of course even if all states legalized Gay marriage if the federal government doesn't recognize it then many rights aren't granted.
Federal recognition, however, was not a part of Friday's vote, leaving
benefits like Social Security and ease of immigration largely out of
reach for same-sex couples.
Read more
here
You're quoting a CNN article that says that Marriage Equality Rhode Island supported the civil union bill. CNN seems to have gotten this wrong. Marriage Equality Rhode Island sent out emails arguing that Gov. Chafee should veto the civil union bill because it contained a discriminatory amendment that allows religious organizations to refuse to recognize other people's civil unions.
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