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WA: Freedom to Marry Head Says Marriage Equality Repeal Likely to Make Ballot

Friday, April 20th, 2012

Opponents of same-sex marriage will collect enough signatures to force a statewide vote and Washington is due for a nasty, costly Referendum 74 campaign in the fall, supporters heard at a Thursday night banquet.

“There will be a ballot measure vote in November,” Evan Wolfson, founder and president of the national group Freedom to Marry told QLaw, the GLBT Bar Association of Washington.

Wolfson said the issue is likely to be on the ballot, in one form or another, in five states — Washington, Maryland, Maine, Minnesota and North Carolina. In the latter two states, opponents are trying to enshrine in state constitutions a definition of marriage as between a man and a woman.

Full Story from Freedom to Marry

Click here for gay wedding resources in Washington State.

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Tags: evan wolfson, freedom to marry, mariage equality, repeal, vote, washington

WA, USA: Spokane City Council Tables Marriage Equality Resolution

Tuesday, April 17th, 2012

Gay marriage is one issue the Spokane City Council won’t take a stand on, after tabling the issue indefinitely after five hours of discussion Monday night.

Close to 300 people attended Monday night’s council meeting, the largest crowd some city employees say they’ve seen in a decade. In all, 96 people spoke at the meeting. Each person was given three minutes to speak, which extended the meeting to just before midnight.

“Gays and lesbians have a right to live as they choose, they just don’t have the right to redefine marriage,” one woman said at the meeting. “Saying, ‘I do’ in front of all of my family, all of my friends, is just so important,” another woman said.

Full Story from KXLY

Click here for gay wedding resources in Washington State.

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Tags: marriage equality, resolution, spokane, tabled, washington

WA: Marriage Equality Repeal Effort Off to Slow Start?

Monday, April 9th, 2012

The drive to repeal marriage equality in Washington State is not off to an auspicious start, if the campaign’s reported number of collected signatures supporting a November referendum is accurate.

Though a judge approved ballot language for Referendum 74 nearly one month ago, the group Preserve Marriage Washington, the NOM-backed group pushing for repeal of the the new law, reports that only 5,680 signatures have been collected. 120,577 valid signatures are needed by June 6 to put the measure on the November ballot, and the organization says it’s aiming to collect 150,000.

A spokesman for the group told the Seattle Times that it would consider hiring paid signature gatherers to reach the minimum threshold needed.

Full Story from The Advocate

Click here for gay wedding resources in Washington State.

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Tags: effort, Gay Marriage, marriage equality, petitions, repeal, signatures, washington

WA, USA: Jewish Rabbis Support Marriage Equality, Call for Conversations

Friday, April 6th, 2012

As efforts to protect Washington’s new marriage equality law continue, it is beautiful to see the increasing amount of support that Washington United for Marriage has gotten from faith communities across Washington state. Their support helps people realize that civil marriage equality is completely consistent with religious liberty.

In the tradition of seeking to do justice, Jewish rabbis from the Reconstructionist, Reform, and Conservative movements have issued the following joint statement inviting those at Passover gatherings to discuss the importance of preserving Washington’s marriage equality law:

“The message of Passover is universal and relevant today. Friday and Saturday evening Jewish people around Washington State will gather around the Seder table for the Passover holiday to commemorate the Jewish people’s freedom from slavery in the land of Egypt. The Passover story is not just about the past, however; it is also a call for the present as well as the future. Having known enslavement and oppression, it is our sacred obligation as Jews to do whatever is in our power to ensure those who are not able to live in freedom, or who are treated unfairly or unjustly, know the blessings of freedom and justice.

Full Story from Pam’s House Blend

Click here for gay wedding resources in Washington State.

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Tags: Gay Marriage, jewish rabbis, marriage equality, washington

WA: Anti Gay Groups Already Out of Compliance With State Campaign Laws

Tuesday, April 3rd, 2012

The Oregon-based Faith and Freedom group of organizations — Faith and Freedom Network, Faith and Freedom Foundation, and Faith and Freedom PAC — has been playing a visible role in the campaign led by National Organization for Marriage’s local arm, Preserve Marriage Washington, attempting to overturn Washington’s civil marriage equality law.

Earlier this year, Faith and Freedom and NOM/PMW tried to block passage of the Law. Their efforts failed when bipartisan legislative majorities voted for the bill and Gov. Gregoire signed it into law. Faith and Freedom and NOM/PMW are now attempting to roll back the law via Referendum 74 on the November, 2012 ballot.

Faith and Freedom has been soliciting action and monetary donations from its supporters through almost daily blog posts and e-mails. And, much like its collaborator NOM has done in state after state after state, Faith and Freedom appears to be violating the law with its fundriasing and campaign finance practices.

Full Story from Pam’s House Blend

Click here for gay wedding resources in Washington State.

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Tags: anti gay groups, campaign finance laws, washington

USA, WA: Catholic Bishops Admit Protect Marriage Washington is an NOM Front Group

Friday, March 23rd, 2012

As if in answer to my observation that It’s Almost As If Washington’s Bishops Own Preserve Marriage Washington, The Washington State Catholic Conference (WSCC), which represents the Catholic Bishops of the State of Washington on issues of public policy, has posted the following comment on their “Preserve Marriage Washington” (PMW) web page. PMW is the campaign trying to roll back Washington’s new marriage equality law.

Preserve Marriage Washington is an entity created by the National Organization for Marriage to conduct the Referendum 74 campaign. Click here to request petitions.

The statement is repeated in “Questions & Answers regarding Referendum 74 which the Bishop of Yakima, Joseph J. Tyson, linked to today in a blog post.

Full Story from Pam’s House Blend

Click here for gay wedding resources in Washington State.

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Tags: catholic bishops, national organization for marriage, nom, protect marriage washington, washington

Featured Gay Friendly Wedding Vendor: Robinswood House, Bellevue, Washington

Wednesday, March 21st, 2012

Periodically we’ll feature one of our vendors here to let our readers know about some great people who can help you plan the perfect wedding.

Robinswood House is one of the oldest pioneer homesteads in the Puget Sound area. The log house and cabana are tucked into secluded flower gardens, accommodating up to 75 people for smaller intimate ceremonies and receptions.

Two spacious patios and a sunken English garden offer a flower filled summer wedding site for up to 225 guests. Featuring original log framing, oak floors, and vintage stone fireplace, Robinswood will add charm to your special event in an open and affirming environment.

The Robinswood House Estate is one of the oldest pioneer homesteads in the Puget Sound area in its original location. The Main House, built by Hans Miller in 1895 to accommodate his growing family, forms the heart of the estate.

Featuring the original log framing, solid oak floors, and vintage stone fireplace, Robinswood House brings a unique flavor to any celebration. For more than 110 years Robinswood House has embodied the warmth and spirit of the Northwest.

See the Robinswood House Expanded Listing on Purple Unions Here

Gay Friendly Wedding Vendors in Washington State

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Tags: Bellevue, gay weddings, lesbian weddings, Robinswood House, washington

Featured Gay Friendly Wedding Vendor: Clise Mansion, Redmond, Washington

Tuesday, March 20th, 2012

Periodically we’ll feature one of our vendors here to let our readers know about some great people who can help you plan the perfect wedding.

Scenically set in in King County’s Marymoor Park near Redmond, Clise Mansion offers sweeping views of the surrounding gardens and lawns. For receptions, up to 250 can be seated throughout the interior spaces, and from April-October, the large private backyard, complete with gazebo and inlaid brick courtyard, can accommodate well over 500 guests. Architectural flourishes, hardwood floors, and original stained glass windows, all add character and warmth to personalize your special occasion in an open and affirming environment.

Indulge your imagination in our historic manor house. The Clise Mansion was built in 1904 by Seattle banker James Clise and his wife Anna. The Clise will forever have a spot in Seattle’s history as the place Anna sponsored the initial fundraising parties for Children’s Orthopedic Hospital. Over time it was expanded into a 28 room country house and is now listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

See the Clise Mansion Expanded Listing on Purple Unions Here

Gay Friendly Wedding Vendors in Washington State

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Tags: Clise Mansion, gay weddings, lesbian weddings, Redmond, washington

WA: Judge to Decide if Marriage Equality Repeal Initiative Can Use “Redefine Marriage” Phrase

Thursday, March 8th, 2012

Does the same-sex marriage bill passed by the Legislature last month “redefine” the term marriage in Washington state? Gay-marriage supporters say no — that the new legislation does nothing to change the meaning of marriage. To them, “redefine” is a loaded word.

Their opponents, on the other hand, say yes — that redefining marriage is the very linchpin of the legislation. And on that point, at least, the state Attorney General’s Office sides with them.

The Solicitor General’s Office of the Attorney General’s Office is responsible for ensuring that language on all state ballot measures is clear, concise and tries to be neutral. In crafting language for a referendum on the recently passed legislation, the state lawyers say that the measure indeed “alters the current meaning of the term marriage.”

Full Story from the Seattle Times

Click here for gay wedding resources in Washington State.

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Tags: initiative, judge, marriage equality, redefine marriage, repeal, washington

Featured Gay Friendly Wedding Vendor: Mt Adams Lodge at the Flying L Ranch, Glenwood, Washington

Thursday, March 8th, 2012

Periodically we’ll feature one of our vendors here to let our readers know about some great people who can help you plan the perfect wedding.

Welcome to the beautiful Mount Adams Lodge in the Cascades – we offer year-round bed & breakfast accommodations, spectacularly located at the base of Washington’s Mt. Adams.

Our Cascade Mountain B&B is surrounded by ponderosa pines and the meadowland of the Glenwood Valley. We offer a beautiful eighty-acre ranch, less than two-hours by car from Portland, Oregon, 35 minutes north of the Hood River, and twenty minutes from Trout Lake, Washington.

See the Mt. Adams Lodge Expanded Listing on Purple Unions Here

Gay Friendly Wedding Vendors in Washington State

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Tags: gay weddings, Glenwood, lesbian weddings, Mt Adams Lodge at the Flying L Ranch, washington