As a New Englander bred, I was delighted today to see the Rhode Island House pass a marriage equality bill 51-19. The Senate must vote on it next. If passed, Gov. Lincoln Chafee (I) has promised to sign it.

Rhode Island United for Marriage, the coalition of organizations working towards marriage equality in the states, notes that “the bill has been introduced every session since 1997.” It has never made it this far.

Rhode Island may be the smallest state, but it would round out New England as a region of marriage equality (which is better than being the region of a disappointing football team).

Hope. Indeed.