Rhode Island governor Lincoln Chafee Saturday signed into law a controversial civil unions bill that failed to please many gay activists, who had hoped for marriage rights instead and objected to the bill’s broad exemptions for religious institutions.

Chafee, an independent who supports marriage equality, said at the signing that he sympathized with the criticism of the civil unions bill, but he also said it “brings tangible rights and benefits to thousands of Rhode Islanders,” the Associated Press reports.

He added, “I remain committed to the passage of marriage equality, but democracy is about compromise. I am convinced that Rhode Island will someday have full marriage equality, and I intend to play a role in that effort.”

Legislators including House speaker Gordon Fox, who is gay, had promoted a marriage equality bill earlier this year, but dropped the effort in favor of civil unions because the marriage bill appeared to have little chance of passing.

The civil unions legislation contains an exemption that says no religious organization or its employees would be required to recognize such unions, meaning they could deny numerous spousal benefits to gay employees. Some LGBT activists had called on the governor to veto the bill. He acknowledged that the exemption is “alarming,” but he said the establishment of civil unions “provides a foundation from which we will continue to fight for full marriage equality.”

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