Supreme Court to decide whether Washington State can release names of anti-gay rights petition signers

Los Angeles Times
January 15, 2010
The Supreme Court on Friday got involved for the second time this week in a case in which opponents of gay rights fear they will be harassed if their views are made public. Earlier this week, the court's conservative majority decided to block televising the Prop 8 trial in California based on fears of harassment of anti-gay witnesses. [Link]

Aberdeen, WA Adopts New Domestic-Partnership Policy

The Olympian (WA)
December 11, 2009
The city council of Aberdeen, Wash., on Wednesday adopted a new domestic partnership policy allowing same-sex couples with at least one person employed by the city to receive the same workplace benefits as their married straight counterparts. [Link]

OP-ED: Toward Marriage Equality for Lesbian and Gay Families in Washington State

The Seattle Times
December 4, 2009
In the wake of Referendum 71's passage, Wash. state Sen. Ed Murray (D-Seattle) lays out steps he believes the state should take in order to gain full marriage equality. [Link]

Expanded Domestic Partnership Rights and Benefits go into effect in Washington State

The Advocate
December 3, 2009
As of Thursday, gay and lesbian couples in Washington State were able to register for expanded domestic-partnership benefits, since voters approved the measure in a general election last month. Filings have more than doubled since Referendum 71 was passed in November, from 35-40 couples registering weekly, to 90 per week, the state's Corporations and Charities Division told the Seattle Post-Intelligencer. [Link]

Benefits for Same-Sex Partners Are Gaining Ground in Courtrooms, Legislatures and at the Ballot Box

The Washington Post
November 27, 2009
Citing recent victories in N.Y., Calif., Wash. state and other areas, experts say that despite ongoing national controversy over marriage equality, LGBT people are making steady and significant progress in gaining legal protections. Jarrett Barrios, president of GLAAD, points out: "Because at the end of the day, the public sees that marriage and all the benefits associated with it are about . . . what people need to honor their commitment to their spouses and protect them." [Link]

Op-Ed: Leaders of Washington state Reject 71 Campaign Try to Spin History

The Bilerico Project
November 20, 2009
Joe Mirabella writes that the leaders of the Reject 71 campaign in Washington state are attempting to mislead voters with falsehoods: "I am not surprised Larry Stickney is trying to rewrite history to motivate his base to donate to his organization. He is the leader of the first defeated anti-equality campaign in history." [Link]

Florida Nurses Apologize to Woman Who Couldn't Visit Dying Partner

McClatchy Newspapaers
November 22, 2009
In a town hall-style meeting on Thursday, several nurses from Miami's Jackson Memorial Hospital personally apologized to a lesbian from Washington state who said that a hospital social worker wouldn't allow her to be with her dying partner in 2007. Registered nurse Norberto Molina: "I can't imagine what you went through." [Link]

Op-Ed: COLUMN: Setback for Gay Rights in Maine, But Hope Elsewhere

The Detroit News
November 16, 2009
Deb Price highlights advances for LGBT equality in Wash. state, Kalamazoo, Mich., and other areas of the nation during the 2009 election: "Momentum is now on the side of equality, even when setbacks make the biggest headlines." [Link]

Op-Ed: Referendum 71 Shows Washington's Strategy for Marriage Equality is Working

The Seattle Times
November 6, 2009
Editorial page editor Ryan Blethen applauds Washington state's decision to approve Referendum 71 and says that the incremental push for equality may be the most effective route to gaining full marriage equality. [Link]

Audio: Evan Wolfson Talks Marriage Equality

KLCC Public Radio
November 4, 2009
KLCC's Jes Burns sat down on Wednesday with Freedom to Marry executive director Evan Wolfson and Basic Rights Oregon's Jeana Frazzini to talk about the current state of the marriage equality movement - and a new campaign launched this week in Oregon. [audio recording available by clicking on speaker icon at Link]

Washington State Voters Approve Expanded Domestic Partnership Rights

The Associated Press

November 5, 2009

Washington state's Referendum 71 was leading 52 percent to 48 percent with 69 percent of the vote counted Thursday in unofficial returns. The expected passage of R-71 would mark the first time a state's voters have approved an LGBT equality measure at the ballot box. [Link]

Washington Voters Approve Referendum 71

The Seattle Times
November 5, 2009
Washington state voters have approved Referendum 71, keeping a law that expands state benefits for registered same-sex and some senior domestic partners. The tally late Thursday afternoon saw the vote to approve R-71 leading about 52 percent to 48 percent. [Link]

The Other LGBT Vote: Why Referendum 71 in Washington Matters

Newsweek
November 4, 2009
While gay-rights activists mourn their loss in Maine, they should not discount the projected victory of Referendum 71 in Washington state. If the measure passes, the Evergreen State will be the first to approve equality by direct will of the people, rather than the court or legislature. [Link]

Referendum 71 margin of approval increases slightly

The Seattle Times
November 4, 2009
The narrow lead in votes to approve Referendum 71 widened slightly with the latest tally released by the Secretary of State's Office. As of late Wednesday afternoon, about 51.65 percent of votes counted thus far were to approve R-71 and 48.35 percent were to reject it. [Link]

Washington State Ref. 71 Holding Firm

Office of Secretary of State of Washington, Sam Reed
November 5, 2000
(Approved = Pro-Expanded Domestic Partnerships)
Votes continue to be counted with the pro-domestic partnership side having gained since our last post.

[Link]

Latest Snapshot of Returns on Ref. 71 in Washington State

Office of Secretary of State of Washington, Sam Reed

November 4, 2000

(Approved = Pro-Expanded Domestic Partnerships)

[Link]

Approve Ref. 71: Washington may be first state in nation to support domestic partnership by popular vote

Approve Ref. 71
November 3, 2009

Voters affirming domestic partnerships for gay and lesbian families

Washington voters today appear to be approving Referendum 71, upholding a state law that provides important legal protections for gays and lesbians and seniors in registered domestic partnerships.

Nearly all of the state’s voters now vote by mail and ballots only need to be postmarked by Election Day, not counted by Election Day, so many ballots won’t actually be counted until Wednesday or Thursday. In King County, where ‘Approve’ is winning by a two-to-one margin, fewer than half the ballots have been counted, and the campaign estimates that the ballots that remain to be counted in King County will account for over 30 percent of the votes remaining to be counted statewide.

“Based on the results we saw tonight, we will be making history in moving forward toward full equality for gay and lesbian Washingtonians and their families,” said Anne Levinson, Chair of the Approve 71 campaign. “Voters across the state listened to the personal stories of gay and lesbian families, and the challenges they face, and, based on the returns so far, they are sending a resounding message – we want to see all families treated equally under the law.”

“We believe the end result of this election will be a win not just for the couples and families, but for all Washingtonians who believe in values of fairness and equality,” Levinson continued. “It was profoundly wrong for some to try to eliminate the rights of others.”

“We are all harmed when any of us is treated differently under the law. We hope this puts an end to the divisive and mean spirited attacks by extremist groups against gay and lesbian Washingtonians and that we can all work together on the real problems confronting all families – gay and non-gay alike.”

The Approve 71 campaign was supported by a broad statewide coalition and received more than 500 endorsements, including faith-based groups and organizations representing communities of color, seniors, education, health care and public safety; clergy of many denominations; labor; large employers such as Microsoft, Google, Starbucks, Boeing; small businesses; civic groups, organizations that care for families, immigrant populations and children, who all took a stand in support of their friends, neighbors and co-workers.

“This was one of the shortest statewide ballot campaigns in Washington. We had only weeks between certification and the first ballots going out. If these trends continue, this will be only the sixth referendum approved in the history of our state,” said Josh Friedes, Approve 71 Campaign Manager. “To have these kinds of numbers in an off-year election where those who vote tend to be older and more conservative is a real testament to the broad support for Washington’s gay and lesbian families.”

Friedes and Levinson both noted that because of Referendum 71 – which Protect Marriage Washington, the Family Policy Institute, the National Organization for Marriage and others fought to force on the ballot –Washingtonians now have a greater understanding of the challenges faced by gay and lesbian families and the legal protections they lacked.

“Were it not for the referendum, the law would have just quietly gone into effect in July. By forcing the referendum, those groups have likely done quite a lot to advance the cause of full equality for lesbian and gay families in Washington state,” Levinson said. [Link]

What Happened and Why

FiveThirtyEight
November 4, 2009
Nate Silver discusses election results around the nation. He analyzes discrepancies between some Maine polling data on Question 1 and the measure's passage, attributing them to a possible "Bradley Effect" and an "urban-rural divide." [Link]

Press Release from Freedom to Marry

Freedom to Marry
November 4, 2009

Narrow Defeat in Maine Won’t Stop Fight for the
Freedom to Marry
Work Continues in Maine as Other States Advance, Voters Likely Protecting Domestic Partnerships in Washington

Despite a strong grassroots effort in Maine, an attack campaign by anti-gay forces just barely overturned Maine ’s law supporting the freedom to marry for gay couples. Results are still coming in for Washington state where voters are likely to affirm domestic partnerships. As Washington state continues its conversation about the inequalities gay couples and their families face, the fight will continue for the freedom to marry in Maine, and across the country, as wins in three other states just this year along with growing national support for the freedom to marry clearly show momentum is on the side of fairness and equality.

“The recipe for ending injustice is: Give people the information they need over time, and stir their hearts. We will work harder, and learn better to dispel the distractions and fears that are keeping a smaller and smaller slice of Americans from treating others fairly,” said Evan Wolfson, executive director of Freedom to Marry and author of Why Marriage Matters: America, Equality and Gay People's Right to Marry. “Each conversation, each day, each story, each win will bring America closer to equality in marriage.”

People from all walks of life -- faith leaders, labor unions, teachers, civil rights leaders and communities of color, Republicans, Democrats, and Independents, public officials, local school boards and city councils, moms and dads, and businesses -- joined together with national, state and local LGBT organizations and individuals from around the country to work for the defeat of these discriminatory referenda.

In addition to the thousands of volunteers and hundreds of organizations that joined the fight for the freedom to marry, political leaders from Maine to Washington and across the United States such as President Barack Obama, Maine Governor John Baldacci, and Washington Governor Chris Gregoire, spoke out against these discriminatory measures.

“My heart goes out today to the couples in Maine, who will have to wait a little longer to marry those they love and receive the protections their commitment deserves,” said Wolfson. “The campaigns in both Maine and Washington worked hard and families across each state stood up and told their stories in order to change hearts and minds.”

Freedom to Marry honors the leadership of the No on 1/Protect Maine Equality and Washington Families Standing Together campaigns, along with supporting organizations Equality Maine, Gay and Lesbian Advocates and Defenders, the Maine chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union, and Equal Rights Washington.

While work continues in Maine and Washington , focus shifts to New York , New Jersey, and the District of Columbia where bills are currently being considered to end the exclusion of gay couples from marriage. [Link]

Latest Washington State Returns

The Bilerico Project
November 3, 2009
Washington State Referendum 71 Results: 42% of precincts reporting

Approve (pro-LGBT): 52.1%
Reject (anti-LGBT): 47.9%

[Link]