Washington State legalizes Same-sex Marriage

[Milkster]

OLYMPIA, Wash. — Washington state lawmakers voted to approve gay marriage Wednesday, setting the stage for the state to become the seventh in the nation to allow same-sex couples to wed.
The action comes a day after a federal appeals court declared California’s ban on gay marriage unconstitutional, saying it was a violation of the civil rights of gay and lesbian couples.
The Washington House passed the bill on a 55-43 vote. Supporters in the public viewing galleries stood and cheered as many on the Democratic side of the House floor hugged after the vote.
The state Senate approved the measure last week, and the bill now goes to Democratic Gov. Chris Gregoire, who is expected to sign it into law next week.
Gregoire watched the vote in the wings with the bill’s sponsor, Sen. Ed Murray, who is gay and has sponsored gay rights legislation for years. Murray said the vote marked “a day that will be remembered in the history of this state.”
Gregoire issued a statement after the vote, saying it was “a major step toward completing a long and important journey to end discrimination based on sexual orientation.”
Democratic Rep. Jamie Pedersen, a gay lawmaker from Seattle who also has sponsored gay rights bills for several years, said that he and his partner have been grateful for the rights that exist under the state’s domestic partnership laws but such protections are “a pale and inadequate substitute for marriage.”
Pedersen, during his remarks on the House floor, read from Tuesday’s ruling by the San Francisco-based 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, citing a section that stated “marriage is the name that society gives to the relationship that matters most between two adults.”
Several Republicans argued against the bill, saying that it goes against the tradition of marriage. Rep. Jay Rodne said the measure “severs the cultural, historical and legal underpinnings of the institution of marriage.”
Despite the action, gay couples can’t begin walking down the aisle just yet.
The proposal would take effect 90 days after the session ends next month but opponents have promised to fight gay marriage with a ballot measure that would allow voters to overturn the legislative approval.
If opponents gather enough signatures to take their fight to the ballot box, the law would be put on hold pending the outcome of a November election. Opponents must turn in more than 120,000 signatures by June 6 if they want to challenge the proposed law. Otherwise gay couples could wed starting in June.
Several Republican amendments were rejected, including one that would have added private businesses and individuals, such as bakers and photographers, to the exemption in the measure that doesn’t require religious organizations or churches to perform marriages and doesn’t subject them to penalties if they don’t marry gay or lesbian couples. Another would have required a one-month residency requirement before people could get married in Washington.
Two Republicans crossed the aisle and voted in favor of the bill. Three Democrats voted against it. Democrats hold a 56-42 majority in the House.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/nation...UzQ_story.html

The comment section.

[Stumblingdrunk]

Nice to read after Kuya's thread =(
seriously, that fucker ruined my night =(

[Pirian]

The comment section.

The comments aren't loading for me, what are they?

[Milkster]

The comments aren't loading for me, what are they?

That the country is going to be segregated with the gay and straight states; all the the straights in the gay states will go to straight states and vice versa, which will cause the next civil war.

[Stumblingdrunk]

ok i had to allow like 5 different things to get the comments to load, honestly, you don't want to read them

[Caiyuo]

Was surprised to see businesses get behind this (hah) and made me wonder how much of an effect they had as well as whether that would be an issue going forward elsewhere. Would hate to see this have to continue on state by state, I just wonder how long it will take.

[Tyche]

That the country is going to be segregated with the gay and straight states; all the the straights in the gay states will go to straight states and vice versa, which will cause the next civil war.

Don't forget that the normal people will be ostracized in those gay states. That comment was gold.

[Ksandra]

That the country is going to be segregated with the gay and straight states; all the the straights in the gay states will go to straight states and vice versa, which will cause the next civil war.

Oh man, OH MAN, my dreams of getting to finally blow up the south might come true!

[Yugl]

I'll be looking forward to that. We'll finally have the chance to undo the mistake from the Civil War and kick the fucking south out of the US. Especially, Texas.

[Stumblingdrunk]

I think we can spare dimmauk, and austin, the rest of texas however, is a lost cause.

[Correction]

Was surprised to see businesses get behind this (hah) and made me wonder how much of an effect they had as well as whether that would be an issue going forward elsewhere.

The businesses that supported this had nothing to lose by supporting it, since their customer base tends to lean towards highly educated folk and not the Gaptooth clan from deep Mississippi. It's still an incredibly significant move and deserves a ton of praise, of course.

It'll be funny if homophobes try to boycott Microsoft, only to learn there isn't going to be much politicization from the competition they try to embrace instead.

[Kurokikaze]

Congrats to Washington. Good shit. Whats that 5 down 50 to go?

[Milkster]

43, Washington was the 7th.

[Kurokikaze]

Ahh thanks for the correction.

[archibaldcrane]

InB4 Washington State constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage.

Sent from my Samsung Galaxy S 4G using Tapatalk

[Correction]

Congrats to Washington. Good shit. Whats that 5 down 50 to go?

Likely fewer than all 50 states, since if enough states come around to the basic truth that no harm comes to society from allowing gays to marry, then overturning DOMA becomes a matter of electing the correct senators/representatives.

[Guyverarmor]

I think we can spare dimmauk, and austin, the rest of texas however, is a lost cause.

Let me move to Austin first before you do that shit please

[Churchill]

Yeah well, fuck Washington and their hippie bullshit. They may have allowed gay marriage, but they are not in favor of human rights.

[Ragnus]

It's always good to see another state sign on to this.

Yeah well, fuck Washington and their hippie bullshit. They may have allowed gay marriage, but they are not in favor of human rights.

Care to expand this thought a bit?

[Churchill]

Just pissed at the DA/Court system there really. Another friend from my unit was convicted on trumped charges/no evidence recently. The police/court system goes after us/them purposefully, whether it's attempts to entrap people by following them around or the DA convincing this particular persons attorney to convince the defendant to go to a closed hearing. Was pretty much over for him then lol.