Washington State next to legalise gay marriage

[Roll_On]

Washington governor to support gay marriage law: source | Reuters

It is expected that governer Chris Gregoire will announce her intention to legalise gay marriage. She has support form the majority democrat assembly and it is expected that such a bill would pass easily. They're 8 hours behind us over there, so give it a while.

In 2009 The state voted 'Yes' 53% to 47% in an "everything but marriage" referendum. Basically meaning that gay couples could marry, in effect, but that their marriage would be referred to as a "domestic partnership". This law gave gay couples the right to use sick leave to care for a partner and rights related to adoption, child custody and child support, as well as new inheritance rights.

This is the first time AFAIK in The US that the majority voted yes to expanding rights of lgbt persons.

What I wonder is, why on Earth the previous government(of Ireland) couldn't simply copy this approach and make civil partnerships an "everything but marriage" arrangement like they have in Washington and The UK. Then there'd be no need to worry about a 'divisive' referendum and the potential political fallout from that referendum.

[Roll_On]

and it's official:

Washington governor supports gay marriage law | Reuters

although now some doubts have emerged as a small number of democrats may side with the republicans on the issue. Washington will make the 7th state to legalise, 8th if you count DC.

[Roll_On]

the Washington Senate has voted 28 to 21 to legalise same sex marriage:

Washington state senate approves equal marriage - PinkNews.co.uk

That's now 7 states out of 50. I'd guess the next few states to follow will be New Jersey, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and possibly a renewed effort in California.

[Aristodemus]

What is the obsession with gay people looking for the right to marry? If they are given the exact same rights as married people in everything but name, what's the issue? Is there another agenda here?

[Roll_On]

What is the obsession with gay people looking for the right to marry? If they are given the exact same rights as married people in everything but name, what's the issue? Is there another agenda here?

conversely you could say what's the obsession with creating other forms of legal relationship that are marriage and calling them something else as we have seen previously in Washington and the UK.

[Nemesiscorporation]

What is the obsession with gay people looking for the right to marry? If they are given the exact same rights as married people in everything but name, what's the issue? Is there another agenda here?

Only the flying spaghetti monster knows the answer to that.

Seriously gays just want the same rights as everyone else.

[stopdoingstuff]

i dont see why this is a problem,even for religious people. it's not like they are trying to make churches change their doctrine or anything. all they want is to be taken as seriously as the state takes straight people. doesn't seem wildly unreasonable, does it?

[Nemesiscorporation]

Washington governor to support gay marriage law: source | Reuters

It is expected that governer Chris Gregoire will announce her intention to legalise gay marriage. She has support form the majority democrat assembly and it is expected that such a bill would pass easily. They're 8 hours behind us over there, so give it a while.

In 2009 The state voted 'Yes' 53% to 47% in an "everything but marriage" referendum. Basically meaning that gay couples could marry, in effect, but that their marriage would be referred to as a "domestic partnership". This law gave gay couples the right to use sick leave to care for a partner and rights related to adoption, child custody and child support, as well as new inheritance rights.

This is the first time AFAIK in The US that the majority voted yes to expanding rights of lgbt persons.

What I wonder is, why on Earth the previous government(of Ireland) couldn't simply copy this approach and make civil partnerships an "everything but marriage" arrangement like they have in Washington and The UK. Then there'd be no need to worry about a 'divisive' referendum and the potential political fallout from that referendum.

There needs to be a complete overhaul of the Irish marriage laws.

Marriage in Ireland needs to be gender neutral and only the perogative of the state. No religion or anyone else for that matter should have a say in it. Marriage regardless of a persons sex needs to be the exact same all around. If heterosexual couples are fleeced by divorce barristers, then so should homosexual couples. Equality has upsides and downsides and equality should be taken with the good and bad points with no special differences for anyone regardless of sexual orientation.

Also transsexual people who get a snip and tuck or a strap a dick to me, should have no impedient to getting married in there new sex, upon getting sex reasignment surgery.

People should be allowed to get married in the eyes of the state in court, jail, government buildings, Dail, tops of Irish mountains, in Irish rovers, in a field, house, church, pub, nightclub, re-enactor events, clifftop, roundabout or where ever they want inside the boundaries of the state.

I think Ireland really needs to grow up a bit in a lot of areas.

[NYCKY]

This was passed by the Washington state legislature and signed into law by the Governor on Monday.

Washington Gay Marriage Bill Signed Into Law By Governor Chris Gregoire

One has passed it in New Jersey with the other expected to, however Governor Christie has pledged to veto it. There are unlikely to be enough votes to override the veto. Christie wants it to be decided in a state referendum.

[Amnesiac]

Does anyone know if this is DNC policy to push for same-sex marriage in 2012? It seems likely that New Jersey will have a ballot in November given that Christie vetoed the legislation. It seems to me that this could encourage more conservative voters out on polling day and harm congressional Democrats and Obama in the wider election.