Washington State is one of those states, thankfully, that does not yet allow same sex marriage but provides the option of a “civil union” for same-sex couples wishing to fully legalize their relationship. The state Supreme Court ruled in 2006 that a ban on gay marriage is permitted under the constitution but the legislature can enact law to change that.
Last month, Gregoire signed the “everything-but-marriage” bill, claiming:
“[same-sex partners] will make for stronger families, and when we have stronger families, we have a stronger Washington state”
But, of course! Families with 2 fathers or 2 mothers make stronger families. Marriages that cannot pro-create make even stronger families, correct? I guess Gregoire thinks that what doesn’t kill traditional marriage only makes it stronger, as Kanye would put it.
The next step is recognizing same sex marriage. Gregoire owes big time to the unions and other liberal organizations for her victories in 2004 and 2008, through Evergreen Progress and other shady lefty attack groups. At an LGBTQ event last fall, Gregoire was more than eager to point out:
We are by no means done [with what we are doing for the gay community]! I’m proud of what we’ve accomplished so far. We will respect and honor same sex couples.
Chris was “quick to to point out advances in LGBT rights under her administration, citing the Anderson-Murray Civil Rights Bill and recent Domestic Partnership legislation as examples.”
And, now, Gregoire wants to reward her gay supporters even further by legalizing same sex marriage in WA… The Slog has the down and dirty:
During both of your runs for governor you said that “Washington isn’t ready for gay marriage.” Are we any readier today?
“Hello?!?”
Where are you on marriage equality today, post-Iowa, Vermont, Maine, New Hampshire. Would you sign a marriage equality bill today?
“I’ll have to see a bill on my desk.”
Will you sign a marriage equality bill if it lands on your desk?
“I want to see a bill on my desk.”
Presumably you don’t want to see a bill on your desk just so you can veto the thing?
“I want to see a bill on my desk.”
In your remarks you said that during this process people came to see the “absolute sameness” of gay and lesbian couples—the sameness of our love, the sameness our commitment to our families. Why not the “same” institution then to protect our families? Why create a separate institution? Why not open marriage, the absolute same institution, to absolutely-the-same same-sex couples?
“What we’ve learned over the last three years is that those who said ‘let’s take this one step at a time’ were right. During the first legislative effort, after the first [domestic partner] bill passed, legislators went home worried about being criticized for supporting it. But they found the opposite reaction when they went home; they heard from voters and constituents who supported their decision, they heard from people they didn’t know were gay. That education allowed us to get where we are today.”
If the legislators heard from “voters and constituents who supported their decision, they heard from people they didn’t know were gay,” where were the dissenting voices? Apparently, supporters of Referendum 71 (website), which was filed soon after the bill was passed to overturn, were ignored.
While this news may be a few weeks old, this issue is still very important. If the legislature passes a gay marriage bill, Gregoire will be more than happy to do so. The Democrats control both the Senate (31-18) and the House (62-36) with near super majorities and can pass anything they like. That is until 2010 when voters can once again voice their opinions.
