OLYMPIA, WA: Gay and lesbian couples were brought one step closer to same-sex marriage Tuesday when the Legislature voted to extend 170 new rights to them, adding to groundwork begun last year with the passage of domestic partnership rights.
The Senate passed House Bill 3104, proposed by Rep. Jamie Pedersen, D-Seattle, by 29-20 along a mostly party-line vote.
The bill grants same-sex couples additional rights -- including the ability to share bank accounts, the right to hold common property and immunity from testifying against one's partner in court. Divorce rights -- including child-custody provisions -- were also granted.
Republicans decried the bill for whittling away at the institution of marriage, saying the deterioration of marriage between a man and a woman would lead to a rise in crime, juvenile delinquency and parents working long hours.
This year's measure increasing the number of partnership rights is part of a strategy to incrementally step toward, someday, granting full marriage rights to gay and lesbian and couples.
A February Elway poll found that 55 percent of Washingtonians supported extending more domestic partnership rights to gay and lesbian couples.
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3 comments:
Good news for us!
Thanks for all the people who are striving for our gay/lesbian's right!
To be frank,I have met my beloved girl on a lesbian dating site called Lesmingle.com. I wish we can have a nice wedding ceremony as you straight people do!
Nice to be accepted and admitted. We are real human beings!
Does it bother anyone else that we as a culture feel that gay rights have to be LEGISLATED?
MY rights as a straight woman aren't legislated beyond a couple of amendments to the Constitution that extend rights to citizens of the country. I think we're looking at this all wrong - legislation shouldn't even be an issue.
Very good point Mrs. Chili.
It reminds me when our country was first developing. The states were forming their first constitutions. New Jersey wrote such wide sweeping equality that ALL land owners, regardless of race or gender, were illegible to vote.
It only took them a very short time to correct the oversite!
Because back then, they didn't want Women or Blacks to have a vote.
They had it right the first time around but decided to add bigotry and bias.
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