PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- One of the leading champions of Rhode Island's new same-sex marriage law married her own long-time partner on Friday.
On Saturday, the Senate press office announced that Sen. Donna M. Nesselbush, D-Pawtucket, married her partner, Kelly Carse, in a private ceremony at Crystal Lake in Mapleville, R.I. on Friday.
A day before her wedding, Nesselbush provided this statement to the Senate press office: "This was a personal bookend to a long political struggle... I am overwhelmed with joy and happiness right now.
"When I came out in college, I remember the poignant moment of thinking, Wow, I will never get married. But I knew I was willing to pay that price to be the person I am and to live an open and honest life.
"Long before I was elected, I worked in the trenches on this issue because, for me, it was an obvious issue of fundamental fairness. I always knew in my heart that my love was as worthy of marriage as anyone else's. So for this day to come for me to be able to take Kellys hand in marriage it was an incredible feeling. From the bottom of my heart, I want to thank my colleagues in government for making marriage equality a reality. I can never express in words the depth of my gratitude.''
Nesselbush sponsored the Senate version of the legislation that, in May, became law, making Rhode Island the 10th state in the nation to legalize same-sex marriage, now legal in 13 states and the District of Columbia.