In a four-part series, we look at the history of efforts in each state with a marriage ballot measure, current polling and how you can get involved.
Recently, the billionaire founder of Amazon.com Jeff Bezos and his wife, MacKenzie, pledged to donate $2.5 million to help pass a marriage equality initiative in Washington State. Here’s a run-down of efforts to secure the freedom to marry in the Evergreen State.
A Long Time Coming
Washington was one of the first states to encounter the marriage equality issue, although they certainly wouldn’t have called it that back then.
In 1971, activists Paul Barwick and John Singer (who would later take the name Faygele ben Miriam) requested a marriage license from King County Auditor Lloyd Hara. Hara turned them down because he had to, although nowadays he’s the King County Assessor and a steadfast supporter of the freedom to marry.
Find more articles and gay wedding resources in Washington State.
To subscribe to this blog, use the rss feed on the right, or use the form at right to join our email list. You can also email us at info@purpleunions.com. Or find us on Facebook. We’re also tweeting daily at http://www.twitter.com/gaymarriagewatc.
