The Supporters of Gay Rights Movements - Article Example

 «The Supporters of Gay Rights Movements» Introduction/Summary The article entitled “Rhode Island Lawmakers Approve Civil Unions” written by Abby Goodnough and published in the New York Times on June 29, 2011 presented issues about the approval of civil unions, in contrast to marriage, in Rhode Island, New York. The legislation was reported to have been resisted particularly from supporters of gay rights indicating the move as discriminatory. Rhode Island was considered only to be the fifth state with legislature on civil unions to the list which included New Jersey, Hawaii, Delaware and Illinois. The supporters of gay rights movements were disappointed of the enactment since they were rallying towards an approval of marriage laws to be included among the states of New York, District of Columbia, and “five other states: Connecticut, Iowa, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Vermont[Goo11]. The author revealed that arguments from gay rights supporters indicated that civil unions are believed to be showing an establishment of second-class citizenry and is not an acceptable alternative to a marriage bill. Rhetorical Analysis The intended audience for the article is the general public, composed of both supporters of gay rights and even those who oppose the passing of a bill for same-sex marriage; together with lawmakers and me, included. The central message is that lawmakers state that the approval of civil unions was seen actually as a stepping stone towards future and potential enactment of the marriage bill for same sex supporters; a process that was considered successfully implemented in three states, such as: Connecticut, New Hampshire and Vermont [Goo11]. The discourse actually informs the readers that lawmakers in Rhode Island have evaluated the matter and resolved that this option is the best alternative at this time. Since the article was very recently written and published (June 29, 2011), the applicability, credibility and validity of the information are factual. Further, since the article was published in the New York Times, acknowledged to possess a highly professional image in delivering unbiased and relevant reports, it fulfills the appropriate genre conventions. A quick research on Abby Goodnough, the writer, reveals that she is an “education reporter for the Times and has been covering New York City schools since September of 1999. (She) graduated from Cornell with a B.A. in Russian. She currently lives in Jersey City, N.J. and is working on a book about the New York City Teaching Fellows program, which recruits people from other careers to become teachers in troubled schools” [The03]. Therefore, as an education reported, she intended to present an objective discussion on the controversial issue of gay marriage through the recently approved civil unions at Rhode Island. As a highly experienced and qualified writer for the New York Times for 12 years now, Goodnough structured the article in a professional manner by initially presenting the theme of the issue in the most concise and accurate approach. Organized in generalized to slowly increasing details, the article followed appropriate rhetorical form, using ethos (credibility), pathos (emotional appeal) and logos (logical manner). Credibility was addressed by citing interviews with authoritative personalities on the subject who were instrumental in providing additional insight and testimonies to the passing of the civil unions legislations. As stated, Goodnough cited that “the new governor, Lincoln D. Chafee, an independent, had championed their cause, and Mr. Fox, who became speaker last year, also appeared eager to get a marriage bill passed” [Goo11]. However, despite positive support of these lawmakers, the law was enacted through the active participation of “M. Teresa Paiva Weed, a Democrat and the State Senate president, (who) opposes gay marriage, and Mr. Fox (who) ultimately threw his support to civil unions, saying that was a more realistic goal”[Goo11]. The appeal to the emotions of the readers was displayed through indicating that passing the civil unions legislation would enable supporters of gay rights to avail of defined rights, such as “hospital visitations, joint bank accounts and property transfers, among other rights” [Goo11]. A balanced and logical style was provided through stating that the same-marriage bill was apparently not enacted due to the active participation of the Catholic Church that promotes the observance to the sanctity of marriage by not allowing same-sex union. A clear, crisp and straightforward language was used throughout the article to support the professionalism and objectivity required and expected of reports published in the New York Times. Conclusion The article effectively presented the updated enactment of civil unions, as a potential steppingstone to the bill for same sex marriage in Rhode Island, New York. Through Goodnough’s expertise and competence in writing featured articles at the New York Times, she observed the required rhetorical elements of using ethos, pathos and logos throughout the article. Through balanced and unbiased reporting, the message was clearly and effectively relayed to the intended audience; encouraging anticipation of readers on events that would unfold regarding same sex marriage bill, not only in Rhode Islands, but in other states of the country, in the near future. Works Cited Goo11: , (Goodnough par. 11), Goo11: , (Goodnough par. 13), The03: , (The New York Times Company 1), Goo11: , (Goodnough par. 3), Goo11: , (Goodnough par. 4), Goo11: , (Goodnough par. 10), Read More