Senate's vote for gay marriage is a principled stand

[joeybee12]

WASHINGTONIANS should pause, reflect and feel good about the state Senate's commanding 28-21 vote to legalize same-sex marriage. Final passage did not come easily. It took years of hard work and careful, incremental politicking along the way.

Congratulations to state Sen. Ed Murray and Rep. Jamie Pedersen, both D-Seattle, and Gov. Chris Gregoire, who all demonstrated leadership on a timely issue.

Special shout-outs to state senators who joined the majority for the final vote: Joe Fain, R-Auburn, Andy Hill, R-Redmond; and Brian Hatfield, D-Raymond.

Fain and Hatfield are from conservative districts. This was a challenging, courageous vote for them. Steve Hobbs, a founder of the Roadkill moderate Democrats, was expected to vote yes, but his speech about serving with gays in the military was one of the more compelling of the evening.

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/editorials/2017403494_edit03gay.html

[HockeyMom]

1. Religion must not trump CIVIL RIGHTS

as Mildred Loving has said. I sent her comments to all the New York State Senators before the state vote on Marriage Equality. One Senator, an attorney, sent me a personal email saying he agreed with that. It IS about Civil Rights!

Good luck!

[joeybee12]

4. Exactly!

Good move on your part!

[gateley]

2. K&R! And they feel it will be easily passed in the House. nt

[joeybee12]

3. I think they always had the votes in the House...

The Senate only recently came around...needed 25...got 28...hooray!

[William769]

5. Recommended.

[customerserviceguy]

6. I lived there for 37 years

Only moved to NY just under five years ago, and I'm damn proud of what the people of what I still consider my home state to have done.

Not only is the legislature progressive-minded on this issue, every time a step in the direction of marriage equality was on the ballot in WA, the people have always made the choice for freedom. I guess even the state Senate recognizes the spirit of what successful celebrators said in the Eighties when discrimination against gay people got defeated at the ballot box, "Two, four, six, eight, Seattle stopped the wave of hate!"

Gawd, I'm proud as hell of my home state.