Washington Poised for Marriage Equality

MLP is committed to marriage equality for persons of all sexual orientations, gender identities or other human differences. We are thankful that the Washington state Legislature now has enough votes to pass a marriage equality bill. Scores of same-sex marriage supporters told their stories at hearings on Monday and Senator Mary Haugen, citing very strong Christian beliefs, announced that she would support the measure.

"My partner and I always knew this day would come, but frankly we didn’t expect it in our lifetime," said Nathan Sobers, MLP Board Member and resident of Washington. "We are overjoyed that the place where we live, work and love has decided that separate but equal is not equal; that domestic partnerships are not enough, even when all of the rights are the same.  Words matter and it is so gratifying that our Governor and state legislators understand that."

From the Advocate:

Washington now has enough votes to pass a marriage equality bill in the state Senate, following a state senator’s announcement of her support today after hours of public hearings regarding the measure.

Mary Margaret Haugen became the 25th member of the state senate, and the last vote needed to pass the bill, after scores of same-sex marriage supporters told their stories in the state capital for more than two hours.

The bill, first brought up by Washington governor Christine Gregoire, is expected to easily pass in the House but was one vote short of passage in the Senate until Haugen announced her support this afternoon.

Haugen, a Democrat, cited her "very strong Christian beliefs" as part of the reason she supports marriage equality.

"Only one being in this world is omniscient, and it's not me," she said in a statement. "Personally I have always said when I accepted the Lord, I became more tolerant of others. I stopped judging people and try to live by the Golden Rule. This is part of my decision. I do not believe it is my role to judge others, regardless of my personal beliefs."

Here is the full text of Senate Bill 6239.

Senator Mary Haugen issued a statement about her support for marriage equality in Washington.

“I have very strong Christian beliefs, and personally I have always said when I accepted the Lord, I became more tolerant of others. I stopped judging people and try to live by the Golden Rule. This is part of my decision. I do not believe it is my role to judge others, regardless of my personal beliefs. It’s not always easy to do that. For me personally, I have always believed in traditional marriage between a man and a woman. That is what I believe, to this day.

“But this issue isn’t about just what I believe. It’s about respecting others, including people who may believe differently than I. It’s about whether everyone has the same opportunities for love and companionship and family and security that I have enjoyed.

“For as long as I have been alive, living in my country has been about having the freedom to live according to our own personal and religious beliefs, and having people respect that freedom.

“Not everyone will agree with my position. I understand and respect that. I also trust that people will remember that we need to respect each other’s beliefs. All of us enjoy the benefits of being Americans, but none of us holds a monopoly on what it means to be an American. Ours is truly a big tent, and while the tent may grow and shrink according to the political winds of the day, it should never shrink when it comes to our rights as individuals.

“Do I respect people who feel differently? Do I not feel they should have the right to do as they want? My beliefs dictate who I am and how I live, but I don’t see where my believing marriage is between a man and a woman gives me the right to decide that for everyone else.

See Also:

• Gay marriage bill a go in Washington state: 25th vote comes through, The LA Times
• Washington Legislature has the votes to legalize gay marriage as Sen. Haugen declares support, The Washington Post