Same-sex equality extended in Washington

Allison Kilkenney - While much of the nation’s attention has been focused on the sad story of Prop 1 in Maine, another much happier story has been unfolding in Washington where the gay and lesbian community took another step toward equality with the approval of Referendum 71.

R-71 expands domestic-partnership rights, and has been called the “everything but marriage” bill. The referendum expands the rights, responsibilities, and obligations of registered domestic partners and their families to include all rights, responsibilities, and obligations granted by or imposed by state law on married couples and their families.

So while it may rightfully frustrate same-sex marriage supporters that the state still insists upon treating gays as a specialized class unworthy of the “marriage” title, R-71’s passage is still a sign of a broader move toward equality. Simply, it means Washington is becoming more pro-gay, and that full rights are within reach. Read more.