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OLYMPIA—
Voters in Washington State will decide in November if gay couples in the state will be allowed to marry.
Opponents of gay marriage forced Referendum 74 on to the ballot after collecting nearly twice the number of signatures required.
In February, Washington became the seventh state in the country to pass legislation legalizing same-sex marriage, but the law would not take effect until June 7.
Preserve Marriage Washington blocked the law June 6 when it submitted an estimated 232,000 signatures — nearly 100,000 more than the 120,577 minimum, the Secretary of State’s office said.
If voters approve R-74, the law passed earlier this year would be upheld and marriage laws in Washington would not take into account the gender of the couple.
The language of the bill says: "This bill allows same-sex couples to marry, applies marriage laws without regard to gender, and specifies that laws using gender-specific terms like husband and wife include same-sex spouses. After 2014, existing domestic partnerships are converted to marriages, except for seniors. It preserves the right of clergy or religious organizations to refuse to perform or recognize any marriage or accommodate wedding ceremonies. The bill does not affect licensing of religious organizations providing adoption, foster-care, or child-placement."
When the petitions were submitted to the Secretary of State at 10 a.m. Wednsday, the fight between opponents of gay marriage such as Protect Marriage Washington and proponents like Gov. Chris Gregoire truly began.
Gregoire has said that if the referendum reaches the ballot, she will take an active role in the campaign to uphold marriage equality in Washington. She said she believes that if the tone of the debate is civil, the law will be upheld.
"If we can talk about this rationally and respectfully, I really believe the people of the state ofWashington will say 'Washington State stands for equality'," Gregoire said.
Preserve Marriage Washington Chairman Joseph Backholm said his group is equally prepared to fight all the way to election day.
“We intend to run a robust campaign across Washington that will include the entire faith community, along with people with no faith traditions at all,” Backholm said. “Same-sex couples in Washington already enjoy full legal rights under our 'everything but marriage' civil union law. We should not redefine marriage simply because of the radical agenda of a small but powerful special interest group, and doing so will mean consequences to society.”
According to the Secretary of State, Protect Marriage Washington has raised about $43,000 so far while the pro-gay marriage group Washington United for Marriage, has collected more than $714,000.
If R-74 passes, Washington will be the first state in the country to legalize gay marriage through a public vote. Six other states including New York, Massachusetts and Connecticut have passed similar laws through their respective legislatures.
Voters in Washington State will decide in November if gay couples in the state will be allowed to marry.
Opponents of gay marriage forced Referendum 74 on to the ballot after collecting nearly twice the number of signatures required.
In February, Washington became the seventh state in the country to pass legislation legalizing same-sex marriage, but the law would not take effect until June 7.
Preserve Marriage Washington blocked the law June 6 when it submitted an estimated 232,000 signatures — nearly 100,000 more than the 120,577 minimum, the Secretary of State’s office said.
If voters approve R-74, the law passed earlier this year would be upheld and marriage laws in Washington would not take into account the gender of the couple.
The language of the bill says: "This bill allows same-sex couples to marry, applies marriage laws without regard to gender, and specifies that laws using gender-specific terms like husband and wife include same-sex spouses. After 2014, existing domestic partnerships are converted to marriages, except for seniors. It preserves the right of clergy or religious organizations to refuse to perform or recognize any marriage or accommodate wedding ceremonies. The bill does not affect licensing of religious organizations providing adoption, foster-care, or child-placement."
When the petitions were submitted to the Secretary of State at 10 a.m. Wednsday, the fight between opponents of gay marriage such as Protect Marriage Washington and proponents like Gov. Chris Gregoire truly began.
Gregoire has said that if the referendum reaches the ballot, she will take an active role in the campaign to uphold marriage equality in Washington. She said she believes that if the tone of the debate is civil, the law will be upheld.
"If we can talk about this rationally and respectfully, I really believe the people of the state ofWashington will say 'Washington State stands for equality'," Gregoire said.
Preserve Marriage Washington Chairman Joseph Backholm said his group is equally prepared to fight all the way to election day.
“We intend to run a robust campaign across Washington that will include the entire faith community, along with people with no faith traditions at all,” Backholm said. “Same-sex couples in Washington already enjoy full legal rights under our 'everything but marriage' civil union law. We should not redefine marriage simply because of the radical agenda of a small but powerful special interest group, and doing so will mean consequences to society.”
According to the Secretary of State, Protect Marriage Washington has raised about $43,000 so far while the pro-gay marriage group Washington United for Marriage, has collected more than $714,000.
If R-74 passes, Washington will be the first state in the country to legalize gay marriage through a public vote. Six other states including New York, Massachusetts and Connecticut have passed similar laws through their respective legislatures.
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