Washington United for Marriage volunteer John Cummings (left) and Pierce County Superior candidate Jerry Costello (right) attended the event. (Photo by Kate Burrows)
Following Gov. Christine Gregoire's historic signing of the Marriage Equality Act Feb. 13, supporters nationwide celebrated this important civil rights milestone. And at 6 p.m. that evening, a statewide toast took place at events throughout Washington in honor of the law's passage. Tacoma's King's Books was packed with community leaders, supporters and volunteers who have spent countless hours working to make marriage equality a reality.
Washington United for Marriage volunteer John Cummings attended both the Senate and House votes in Olympia, calling the atmosphere in both cases positive and uplifting. "It has been amazing to be a part of something so historic," he said.
Even in the midst of the celebrations, supporters admitted there is a long road still ahead to protect the legislation that opponents have already pledged to seek to overturn. "Tonight we party, but tomorrow, we protect the law," Tacoma City Councilmember Ryan Mello said.
Pending the referendum process, Washington joins six other states – Connecticut, Iowa, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Vermont, along with the District of Columbia – in recognizing marriage for gay and lesbian couples under the law. Eight other states provide same-sex couples with access to state-level benefits and responsibilities of marriage, through civil unions or domestic partnerships.
But to many, the idea of a domestic partnership or civil union does not hold the same meaning as traditional marriage in today's society. "Our society uses one word and one word only to articulate when a loving couple is committed to each other, and that word is 'marriage,'" Mello said. "I am looking forward to the day that my partner and I cannot get 'civil unioned' or 'domestic partnershiped,' but I'm looking forward to the day we can get 'married.' Victory and equality has never tasted so sweet."
In a statement delivered by Pierce County Auditor Julie Anderson, Gregoire called Feb. 13 one of the proudest, most important days of her career. "Separate is not equal, and our state has no business in telling people who to love," she simply stated.
As youth advocate for the Oasis Youth Center, serving more than 400 lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender youth, Matthew Wilson said the marriage equality bill will be an important step in normalizing gay relationships in the eyes of the community and the youth he serves. "This proves that things truly are getting better, and it's something that our youth can be excited about," Wilson said.
Although there is much reason to celebrate, Mello anticipates a fierce battle against those working to overturn the legislation. "I feel very strongly that we should never put civil rights up to a vote of the people," Mello said. "We never did that for women's suffrage and shouldn't for gay marriage, either."
