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Tuesday, October 27th, 2009
Stephen Colbert returned to air last night after a week off with a particularly funny and diverse episode, tackling everything from George Will’s sartorial hypocrisy to gay rights. The latter segment focused on recent legislation passed in the state of Washington called “Everything But Marriage” which expanded the state’s domestic partnership law to offer same-sex couples the same rights as straight married people.
This legislation was met with deep dismay by Protect Marriage Washington, an anti-gay marriage group which collected signatures to get a referendum on the ballot to overturn the law, but refuses to produce the list of those who signed the petition to prove its validity to detractors. Enter Stephen Colbert. The host used rhetoric usually reserved to discuss the rights of homosexuals to turn the whole debate on its head and expose the inherent hilarity:
“I don’t believe it is a choice, I believe you’re born thinking gays don’t have the right to get married or even be joined in union. And folks, the gays have no right to out those people.”
Full Story from the Huffington Post: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/10/27/colbert-eviscerates-gay-m_n_335076.html
Planning to marry your partner? Click here for gay marriage 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 – just search for Gay Marriage Watch (you’ll see our b/w wedding pic overlooking the Ferry Building and Bay Bridge in SF). We’re also tweeting daily at http://www.twitter.com/gaymarriagewatc.
Posted in colbert report, Gay Marriage, r71, referendum 71, stephen colbert, washington state | No Responses »
Monday, October 26th, 2009
Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) rights in Washington state are facing a crucial vote. Voters are choosing whether to approve or reject SB 5688–a domestic partnership expansion bill passed earlier this year by the state legislature and signed into law by the governor in May.
The law would grant the rights of civil marriage in Washington state–like sharing health benefits and death benefits, and hospital visitation rights–to same-sex couples and heterosexual partners where at least one of the two people is over the age of 62, without calling it “marriage.” Everyone registered to vote in Washington state should vote to approve Referendum 71 and protect the rights of LGBT couples and seniors.
This “Everything but Marriage” law–as it is referred to by its supporters–is the culmination of a strategy of working toward marriage equality by first creating the domestic partnership category for same-sex couples, and then adding more and more rights until domestic partners have the same state-granted rights as married couples do, just without the name.
Full Story from SocialistWorker.org: http://socialistworker.org/2009/10/26/fight-for-referendum-71
Planning to marry your partner? Click here for gay marriage 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 – just search for Gay Marriage Watch (you’ll see our b/w wedding pic overlooking the Ferry Building and Bay Bridge in SF). We’re also tweeting daily at http://www.twitter.com/gaymarriagewatc.
Posted in domestic partnerships, Gay Marriage, r71, referendum 71, wa, washington state | No Responses »
Friday, October 23rd, 2009
A Lynnwood-based organization that opposes the state’s domestic partnership law and is working to defeat Referendum 71 has filed suit in U.S. District Court in Tacoma seeking to circumvent campaign contribution limits of $5,000 and to keep secret the names of those who make smaller donations.
State campaign finance laws require campaigns to disclose names and addresses of those who donate over $25 to a campaign. Campaigns must also include employer names and addresses as well as the occupations of donors contributing over $100. The laws limit to $5,000 contributions from businesses and individuals made within 21 days of the general election.
The attorney for the Family Policy Institute of Washington, which filed the lawsuit through its newly formed Family PAC late Wednesday, acknowledged that there are substantial contributions in the offing that the campaign wants to accept but can’t because of the limits.
Full Story from TDN.com: http://www.tdn.com/articles/2009/10/23/breaking_news/doc4ae169be20afe092434496.txt
Planning to marry your partner? Click here for gay marriage 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 – just search for Gay Marriage Watch (you’ll see our b/w wedding pic overlooking the Ferry Building and Bay Bridge in SF). We’re also tweeting daily at http://www.twitter.com/gaymarriagewatc.
Posted in campaign finance laws, contribution limits, family policy institute, Gay Marriage, suing, washington state | No Responses »
Monday, October 19th, 2009
With all the attention that Beyond Chron has given to Maine’s Question 1, we would be remiss not to mention that Washington State has a similar ballot fight November 3rd. The difference is that in Washington the battle is over domestic partnerships (not gay marriage), which makes a victory there less historically significant. I also felt from the start that Referendum 71 was a more winnable cause, because a number of swing voters who are uncomfortable with granting marriage rights to gay couples strongly support civil unions.
But you wouldn’t know this based on how the right in Washington has waged their campaign. Opponents of Referendum 71 say their fight is about “protecting marriage” – and view Washington’s domestic partner law as an assault on their theocratic agenda. Meanwhile, their allies in Maine claim to have nothing against gay couples having all of the same rights and benefits – but their problem is with re-defining the term “marriage.” How they’re waging the campaign in Washington exposes this as a bald faced lie.
In Maine, the state legislature and Governor passed a marriage equality law – and the right has used the “People’s Veto” process to collect signatures and put it on the ballot. In Washington, the legislature and Governor passed Senate Bill 5688 to create a domestic partnership law similar to what we currently have in California – and the right has used the “referendum” process to collect signatures and put it on the ballot.
Full Story from Beyond Chron: http://www.beyondchron.org/news/index.php?itemid=7459#more
Planning to marry your partner? Click here for gay marriage 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 – just search for Gay Marriage Watch (you’ll see our b/w wedding pic overlooking the Ferry Building and Bay Bridge in SF). We’re also tweeting daily at http://www.twitter.com/gaymarriagewatc.
Posted in domestic partnerships, Gay Marriage, r71, referendum 71, washington state | No Responses »
Sunday, October 18th, 2009
That’s the latest last evening from Gary Randall, leader of the Faith & Freedom Network who also is a leader in the Protect Marriage Washington campaign.
The gay rights opponents want the U.S. Supreme Court to step in after the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals on Thursday ordered the Washington Secretary of State Sam Reed to release the signatures and names of Referendum 71 signers.
A Seattle man who supports the domestic-partnership rights of R-71 wants to publish the names on a website, whosigned.com. The R-71 campaign says it does not condone that action, and Reed’s office has said the same; but state elections officials contend the signatures petitions are public records and have been treated as such for several years.
Full Story from The Olympian: http://www.theolympian.com/politicsblog/story/1005609.html
Planning to marry your partner? Click here for gay marriage 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 – just search for Gay Marriage Watch (you’ll see our b/w wedding pic overlooking the Ferry Building and Bay Bridge in SF). We’re also tweeting daily at http://www.twitter.com/gaymarriagewatc.
Posted in Gay Marriage, petitions, r71, referendum 71, signatures, us supreme court, wa, washington state | No Responses »
Saturday, October 17th, 2009
Thurston County Superior Court Judge Richard Hicks has scheduled a hearing Tuesday at 1:30 p.m. to hear the state’s request that the names of people who signed petitions seeking to have a new, expanded gay rights law overturned be made public.
The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Thursday granted an immediate stay and reversed a lower court’s preliminary injunction blocking the release of Referendum 71 petitions.
Last month a federal judge blocked the release of names of people who signed R-71. U.S. District Court Judge Benjamin Settle said releasing the names could violate the First Amendment rights of those who signed petitions to get R-71 on the ballot. The secretary of state’s office criticized the ruling, saying it was “a step away from open government.”
Full Story from the Seattle PI: http://blog.seattlepi.com/seattlepolitics/archives/182328.asp?from=blog_last3
Planning to marry your partner? Click here for gay marriage 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 – just search for Gay Marriage Watch (you’ll see our b/w wedding pic overlooking the Ferry Building and Bay Bridge in SF). We’re also tweeting daily at http://www.twitter.com/gaymarriagewatc.
Posted in petitions, r71, release, rreferendum 71, signatures, washington state | No Responses »
Wednesday, October 14th, 2009
In a fairly unsurprising session, City Council members passed resolutions opposing a government revenue-restricting initiative from Tim Eyman and backing a domestic partnership law.
The council unanimously, with Councilman Gene Knutson absent, approved a resolution opposing Eyman’s Initiative 1033, which limits the growth of certain city, county and state revenue to the rate of inflation and population growth.
Members also, in a 5-0 vote with Councilman Stan Snapp abstaining, passed a resolution urging voters to approve Referendum 71, which would enact a domestic partnership law that has been dubbed the “everything but marriage” law.
Full Story from the Bellingham Herald: http://www.bellinghamherald.com/localnews/story/1111499.html
Planning to marry your partner? Click here for gay marriage resources.
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 – just search for Gay Marriage Watch (you’ll see our b/w wedding pic overlooking the Ferry Building and Bay Bridge in SF). We’re also tweeting daily at http://www.twitter.com/gaymarriagewatc.
Posted in bellingham, city council, domestic partnerships, endorses, r71, referendum 71, washington state | No Responses »
Wednesday, October 14th, 2009
Opponents of the state’s domestic-partnership law, who until now had depended largely on small donations from retirees and housewives across the state, got a $200,000 boost this week from the local affiliate of a national conservative evangelical organization.
It is the single largest contribution on either side of Referendum 71 — doubling the $100,000 donated by Microsoft to supporters of gay rights — and raising the stakes in the battle over the state’s domestic-partnership law.
The amount arrived just in advance of Tuesday’s deadline for large campaign donations. From now through Election Day, when voters will approve or reject the latest expansion of the state’s domestic-partnership law, donations from companies and individuals will be limited to $5,000 each.
Full Story from the Seattle Times: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2010057920_webref71money14.html
Planning to marry your partner? Click here for gay marriage 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 – just search for Gay Marriage Watch (you’ll see our b/w wedding pic overlooking the Ferry Building and Bay Bridge in SF). We’re also tweeting daily at http://www.twitter.com/gaymarriagewatc.
Posted in family policy institute, r71, referendum 71, washington state | No Responses »
Friday, October 9th, 2009
This is not a spoof. This is a real advertisement being run in Washington State by Protect Marriage Washington in an effort to thwart Referendum 71 which provides a comprehensive civil union law. Here we have Adam and Eve (not Steve) portrayed by Ken and Barbie. Presumably, togas were the fashion statement of the day. Adam has a fresh shave and a frat-boy haircut. Eve found a curling iron and other requisites of her do.
BTW, at about 20 seconds in, what’s with the leaf throwing? It’s like an Ed Wood movie incorporating discarded stock footage.
Full Story from Tips-Q: http://www.tips-q.com/1451026-worst-anti-gay-advertisement-ever
Planning to marry your partner? Click here for gay marriage 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 – just search for Gay Marriage Watch (you’ll see our b/w wedding pic overlooking the Ferry Building and Bay Bridge in SF). We’re also tweeting daily at http://www.twitter.com/gaymarriagewatc.
Posted in commercial, Gay Marriage, r71, referendum 71, washington state | No Responses »
