Damn that G.L.E.E.

With 28 votes yea and 21 votes nay, the Washington State Senate has just approved same sex marriage equality.

Well, actually, the House still has to pass it, but they were already known to have a stronger majority in the House. The senate only had 25 known votes “for”, but that was exactly the number they needed for a majority. The governor helped introduce the bill, so you know she’s going to sign it.

Unfortunately, we have an over-active initiative process in this state. While it will certainly be approved and signed into law, there will be an initiative/referendum filed this year that will prevent it from being enacted. It will get enough signatures. It will have to go up to a public vote in November. I hate the idea of putting civil rights up to a public vote in any circumstance. It is just so very wrong. (Should we have allowed the southern states to vote on ending slavery? How about interracial marriage in 1967 when it only had 20% approval nationwide? How about ending the Jim Crow laws? Hmm?) Recent polling does show there is a majority or at least plurality public support for marriage equality in Washington, but it all depends on who bothers to register to vote and actually send in their ballots. (The voting population historically skews older/more conservative everywhere compared to general population. VOTE PEOPLE!)

One thing we do have going for us is that in 2009 (a non-presidential election year, which means even more of a skew to the conservative, typically), Washington became the only state to publicly vote to expand gay rights when the “everything but marriage” bill was brought up in the same way explained above. It passed with 53% of the vote. The bill expanded our domestic partnership law (for gay couples and senior citizens) to include all the rights and privileges of marriage except the name. In theory. But we all know how equal “separate but equal” is. (See Brown v. Board of Education.) Still, it was an important milestone. I’m hopeful (but nervous) that this will go the same way. Even though I vehemently hate the idea of the rights of a minority going up for a popular vote, (seriously, fuming at the concept) in a sense, I admit it would be nice if it actually passes that way. No more room for the crazy people to complain.

(via ohblaineviousbye)

Source: ashadowofadetective