One leading advocate called 2011 an “epic” year for marriage equality. Was it? While only one state -- New York -- enacted full marriage rights for same-sex couples, it was the most populous state to do so. Five other states also moved closer to marriage equality than ever before. Public opinion shifted dramatically towards supporting equality. And the Obama administration announced that it no longer considers a key part of the Defense of Marriage Act constitutional.

NARRAGANSETT, R.I. -- Rhode Island's First Lady Stephanie Chafee, wife of Gov. Lincoln Chafee, has announced that she will perform a same-sex civil union ceremony for two close friends.

President Obama's doing everything right for the LGBT community -- except marriage. An anti-gay senator from North Carolina is things up again. And Senators in Rhode Island and Maine need to hear from you. This week's Marriage News Watch is here...

The nation’s leading anti-gay group, the National Organization for Marriage, opposes marriage and civil unions for gay and lesbian couples, and earlier this month, many of the leading Republican presidential [...]

On July 2nd of this year, Rhode Island Governor Lincoln Chafee signed a bill which legalized civil unions in the Ocean State. Though Governor Chafee recognized that the bill was [...]

The First Circuit Court of Appeals has again ruled against the National Organization for Marriage’s attempts to challenge the “constitutionality of a Rhode Island election law requiring the reporting of so-called ‘independent expenditures.’”

This week: Rhode Island is getting civil unions, Maine will collect signatures to overturn that state's marriage ban, and seven couples have sued New Jersey to do the same there. The AMA endorsed marriage equality, the NOM won't be allowed to use secret donors in Minnesota, the DOJ sided against DOMA in one case and with DOMA in another.

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

Rev. Thomas J. Tobin, Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Providence, on Thursday sent a warning to Rhode Islanders of God’s wrath for the passage of same-sex civil unions, and forbade Catholics from entering into such unions.

Coming just days after the New York legislature voted to legalize same-sex marriage, Rhode Island state lawmakers on Wednesday voted to approve a bill that would permit civil unions between gay and lesbian couples.

The Rhode Island's House of Representatives on Thursday voted overwhelmingly to approve a same-sex civil unions bill.

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.

A proposed compromise to legalize same-sex civil unions in Rhode Island, was met with scorn by gay marriage supporters and opponents at a state House committee hearing on Wednesday evening.

Disagreement over marriage versus civil unions could drive Rhode Island's LGBT activists against each other. An unknown source is funneling millions of dollars to anti-gay groups in fifteen states. And, we'll talk about Target's role in Minnesota's double-ban on marriage, and share some good news from Brazil, Scotland, and Taiwan.

Rhode Island lawmakers introduced legislation on Tuesday in the state House that would allow for same-sex civil unions, one week after the openly gay House Speaker conceded there was not enough support to pass a marriage equality bill.