Rhode Island Governor Lincoln Chafee on Saturday signed into law legislation legalizing civil unions for same-sex couples.

A Rhode Island state House committee on Tuesday voted to advance a bill that would legalize civil unions for same-sex couples — the same bill that was met with scorn by gay marriage supporters and opponents at the committee hearing last week.

Rhode Island's openly gay House speaker said Wednesday that legislation to legalize same-sex marriage is dead for the year, because it's clear the bill won't overcome opposition in the state Senate.

State Representative Gordon Fox this week became the first openly gay lawmaker elected Speaker of the Rhode Island House of Representatives. [caption id="attachment_6009" align="aligncenter" width="380" caption="Gordon Fox (Photo credit: Providence [...]