Seattle P-I: Religious leaders rally for gay rights
December 29, 2005
Religious leaders who favor increased protection for gays took their cause to the Eastside Wednesday, directly challenging the Rev. Ken Hutcherson and his supporters.
About 30 people of various faiths gathered at the entrance of Lake Washington High School to support long-stymied legislation that would outlaw discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation.
The group also met "to counter the very loud voices by a very few fundamentalist religious leaders" who oppose the bill, which was narrowly defeated in the 2005 Legislature and is expected to be reintroduced in the upcoming session, said Robert Jacobs, Northwest regional director of the Anti-Defamation League.
About 30 people of various faiths gathered at the entrance of Lake Washington High School to support long-stymied legislation that would outlaw discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation.
The group also met "to counter the very loud voices by a very few fundamentalist religious leaders" who oppose the bill, which was narrowly defeated in the 2005 Legislature and is expected to be reintroduced in the upcoming session, said Robert Jacobs, Northwest regional director of the Anti-Defamation League.
Seattle Times: Editorial: One vote short for civil rights
The Legislature has spent decades debating simple gay-rights legislation, always to be rebuffed by one vote or maneuver that prevents passage.
The 2006 session should be different. It will be if one senator, Republican Bill Finkbeiner, can muster the courage to vote for the bill.
The gay-rights bill would make a basic change that adds sexual orientation to Washington anti-discrimination laws regarding housing, employment and financial transactions.
The 2006 session should be different. It will be if one senator, Republican Bill Finkbeiner, can muster the courage to vote for the bill.
The gay-rights bill would make a basic change that adds sexual orientation to Washington anti-discrimination laws regarding housing, employment and financial transactions.
Ballard News-Tribune: Fighting for their family's value
December 28, 2005
As Chris Gamache and Judy Fleissner made their way up the Washington Supreme Court steps earlier this year to argue for their right to marry as a same-sex couple, the Ballard residents wanted more than anything to shield their two children, 5-year-old Tillie and 9-year-old Noah, from the chants and cries of thousands of protestors.
Mostly of religious affiliation, the protestors shouted things like, "God hates you!" and "You're going to hell, sinners!"
Gamache and Fleissner said they try to teach their children compassion and understanding, and when Tillie and Noah began asking why the protestors seemed to hate them, it became even more important.
"For us the lawsuit is about fairness and equality and not being treated like second class citizens," said Gamache.
Fleissner said the City of Bellevue, is "philosophically opposed to her lifestyle." And despite numerous requests from the police force on her behalf, the city will not allow Gamache to be covered under her insurance policy. Fleissner was not able to take family leave when Gamache gave birth to their daughter, and her partner would not be considered her spouse if Fleissner were to die in the line of duty.
"I put my life on the line for my family every day, just like all the other people on the force," said Fleissner. "Why shouldn't I deserve to have my family protected?"
Mostly of religious affiliation, the protestors shouted things like, "God hates you!" and "You're going to hell, sinners!"
Gamache and Fleissner said they try to teach their children compassion and understanding, and when Tillie and Noah began asking why the protestors seemed to hate them, it became even more important.
"For us the lawsuit is about fairness and equality and not being treated like second class citizens," said Gamache.
Fleissner said the City of Bellevue, is "philosophically opposed to her lifestyle." And despite numerous requests from the police force on her behalf, the city will not allow Gamache to be covered under her insurance policy. Fleissner was not able to take family leave when Gamache gave birth to their daughter, and her partner would not be considered her spouse if Fleissner were to die in the line of duty.
"I put my life on the line for my family every day, just like all the other people on the force," said Fleissner. "Why shouldn't I deserve to have my family protected?"
Seattle Times: Finkbeiner may hold key for passing gay-rights bill
December 19, 2005
Gay-rights legislation has been debated so often, and for so long, that supporters can tell you with seeming certainty how every lawmaker will vote next year — except for Republican Sen. Bill Finkbeiner.
Democrats, who excoriated him for defeating the bill when it died by one vote on the Senate floor in April, are now banking on Finkbeiner as its savior when the measure is reintroduced this coming legislative session. The Legislature convenes Jan. 9 for a 60-day session.
"The X factor will be Sen. Finkbeiner," said state Sen. Erik Poulsen, D-Seattle, a key negotiator in the Senate last year for the bill, which would ban discrimination based on sexual orientation.
Democrats, who excoriated him for defeating the bill when it died by one vote on the Senate floor in April, are now banking on Finkbeiner as its savior when the measure is reintroduced this coming legislative session. The Legislature convenes Jan. 9 for a 60-day session.
"The X factor will be Sen. Finkbeiner," said state Sen. Erik Poulsen, D-Seattle, a key negotiator in the Senate last year for the bill, which would ban discrimination based on sexual orientation.
Seattle P-I: King County bar backs same-sex marriage
December 8, 2005
The King County Bar Association has endorsed the legal concept of same-sex marriage, the first county bar association in Washington state to do so.
The resolution, adopted unanimously by the bar's Board of Trustees last month, provides that two people of the same sex "should have the right to marry under state law," and that they should be able to enjoy the legal protections afforded civil marriages between men and women.
According to bar President Gary Maehara, the board considered endorsing "civil unions" between same-sex couples as an alternative to civil marriage, but concluded that the term is not recognized as "marriage" under federal and perhaps many state laws.
The resolution, adopted unanimously by the bar's Board of Trustees last month, provides that two people of the same sex "should have the right to marry under state law," and that they should be able to enjoy the legal protections afforded civil marriages between men and women.
According to bar President Gary Maehara, the board considered endorsing "civil unions" between same-sex couples as an alternative to civil marriage, but concluded that the term is not recognized as "marriage" under federal and perhaps many state laws.
Peninsula Daily News: PT same-sex couple honored by ACLU
December 7, 2005
Duke and Lam are among the plaintiffs in two lawsuits -- Castle v. State and Andersen v. King County -- seeking to overturn the state's Defense of Marriage Act, which denies marriage equality to same-sex couples.
In the suits, the ACLU is representing 11 couples from around the state, and Lambda Legal and the Northwest Women's Law Center are representing eight couples from King County.
Like their 36 co-plaintiffs, Duke and Lam joined the ACLU lawsuit because they believe the state should not limit marriage on the basis of race, gender or sexual orientation.
In the suits, the ACLU is representing 11 couples from around the state, and Lambda Legal and the Northwest Women's Law Center are representing eight couples from King County.
Like their 36 co-plaintiffs, Duke and Lam joined the ACLU lawsuit because they believe the state should not limit marriage on the basis of race, gender or sexual orientation.
Seattle P-I: I do? Marriage roles keep changing with the times
December 4, 2005
OLYMPIA, Wash. -- The debate over gay marriage has social conservatives decrying the destruction of the sanctity of marriage, but a nationally renowned marriage expert argues the institution was thrown into chaos long ago.
Once people started eschewing marriage as a business proposition and instead partnered up based on something as fleeting as love, all convention was thrown out the window, says Stephanie Coontz, author of "Marriage, a History: From Obedience to Intimacy or How Love Conquered Marriage."
"Staying together 'til death do us part' is a bigger challenge than any generation ever had to face," she said. "The fact remains that you're never going to get back to a situation where you can assume every adult is going to spend the majority of their life in marriage."
The author of five books, including "The Way We Never Were: American Families and the Nostalgia Trap," teaches history and family studies at The Evergreen State College in Olympia. Coontz, 61, said she has spent years "trying to get past our 'Leave it to Beaver' mythology about what the traditional family was."
Once people started eschewing marriage as a business proposition and instead partnered up based on something as fleeting as love, all convention was thrown out the window, says Stephanie Coontz, author of "Marriage, a History: From Obedience to Intimacy or How Love Conquered Marriage."
"Staying together 'til death do us part' is a bigger challenge than any generation ever had to face," she said. "The fact remains that you're never going to get back to a situation where you can assume every adult is going to spend the majority of their life in marriage."
The author of five books, including "The Way We Never Were: American Families and the Nostalgia Trap," teaches history and family studies at The Evergreen State College in Olympia. Coontz, 61, said she has spent years "trying to get past our 'Leave it to Beaver' mythology about what the traditional family was."
