Rhode Island Gov. Carcieri Is "Aggravated" By Marriage Equality Activists

Angered at their governor's appearance at a fundraiser for anti-gay hate group the Massachusetts Family Institute, where he said that "marriage is not a civil right" and that he was "aggravated" by the issue, marriage equality activists rallied at the Rhode Island state house this weekend.

“I think that anger needs to be expressed, because all of us have been feeling that for a long time,” said Andrew Winters, assistant to the vice president of student affairs and GLBT programs and services at the University of Rhode Island. “And this damn journey that we are on is taking too long.” Several speakers in the rally denounced Gov. Donald Carcieri ’65, who said at a Thursday fund-raiser for the Massachusetts Family Institute that “gay marriage is not a civil right” and that he gets “aggravated” when people call it that. On its Web site, the MFI calls homosexuality “destructive to family, individuals and society” and supports “the healing of those plagued by a same-sex attraction.” State Rep. Frank Ferri, D-Dist. 22, a former chair of MERI and an openly gay state legislator, responded to Carcieri at the rally, saying, “Guess I know what one of my roles is at the State House: I aggravate Governor Carcieri.”

Gov. Carcieri has agreed to meet with LGBT activists in early November.