Washington State came one step closer to equality yesterday.

Governor Chris Gregoire signed the recently expanded domestic partnership bill into law. Said Gregoire: "This bill is about protecting and helping Washington families. It simply gives these families the same rights as everybody else. It's the right thing to do." Well, that's not entirely true. Sure, the new DP's give gays 170 new rights, but come nowhere near marriage.

The bill's sponsor, Representative Jamie Pedersen realizes there's still more ground to cover: Domestic partners still lack the vast majority of the protections that married couples take for granted in Washington state. This law, Pedersen says, is the "next step in addressing that injustice."

DP for everyone! Washington State's Senators voted 29-20 yesterday to expand domestic partnership rights. The vote will now go to Governor Chris Gregoire, who will likely sign it into law.

The Legislature passed a measure Tuesday to expand the state's domestic partnership law, granting same-sex couples more than 170 of the benefits and responsibilities given to married couples, including property and guardianship rights.

The measure adds domestic partners to sections of laws where previously only spouses were mentioned, including areas referring to probate and trusts, community property and homestead exemptions, and guardianship and powers of attorney.

The underlying domestic partnership law, passed last year, already provides hospital visitation rights, the ability to authorize autopsies and organ donations and inheritance rights when there is no will.

Ain't love grand?!

Some people just don't know when to quit! Oregonian lawmakers voted this year to allow domestic partnerships, which go into effect on January 1, 2008. A number of anti-gay activists, however, are using the next few days to piss on the equality party.

From Edge Boston:

…Anti-gay activists are targeting the state with a federal lawsuit, alleging that signatures were illegally declared invalid on a petition to require that the civil unions law be subject to a vote during next year’s election, rather than passed by state legislators and signed into law by the governor.

The right wingers have also been publishing a series of articles meant to scare out the vote, including a piece that says gay prisoners will be given preferential treatment over straight prisoners.

You know things are bad when activists are using prisoners as their model citizens.

Despite their best efforts, Oregon's anti-gay activists did not get enough signatures to block the state's domestic partner laws. Social conservatives launched their effort earlier this year after the legislature voted for the trimmed down nuptial rights.

State election officials say opponents failed to turn in enough signatures to block Oregon's domestic-partnership law for same-sex couples.

State elections officials reported Monday that the effort fell 116 valid signatures short of the 55,179 needed to suspend the law and place it on the November 2008 ballot for a popular vote.

That means that as of Jan. 1, Oregon will join eight other states that have approved spousal rights in some form for same-sex couples: Connecticut, Vermont, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Maine, California, Washington and Hawaii. Massachusetts is the only state that allows gay couples to marry.

Basic Rights Oregon's executive director John Hummel celebrated the petition's failure, saying, "In refusing to sign these petitions, Oregonians showed that they aren't interested in rolling back our anti-discrimination laws." Hummel may be getting ahead of himself. Another petition's circulating to take down anti-discrimination laws, but insiders also suspect that lacks the signatures.

Wham, bam, thank you, Washington. An estimated 100 couples took advantage of the Pacific Northwest state's new domestic partnership law.

Under the law, which went into effect yesterday, cohabitating queer couples can enjoy many marriage-esque rights, including inheritance, hospital visitation and the ever-important autopsy authorization. Ring a ling!

64-year old Jim Malatak and his younger beau, 53-year old Rick Sturgill were the first couple registered yesterday. Malatak rejoiced after sharing a civil kiss with his main man, calling the historic event, " Wonderful. Supremely wonderful. I hope this can be the model for young gays coming up."

CONTINUED »

Gay rights took one step forward in Oregon yesterday when Judge Eric Bloch ruled that state parental rights laws violate the constitution. The laws stated that only a married couple can legally register as a child's parents. Jean Frazzini and K.D. Parman, a lesbian couple who have a four year old, artificially inseminated child, filed a lawsuit after the hospital refused to include Frazzini's name on the baby's birth certificate.

In filing their suit, the litigious ladies referenced 1998's Tanner v. OHSU, which wrote that married straights cannot have rights while gays' languish. Judge Bloch agreed and declared yesterday that Oregon's current parenting rights laws violate the womens' - and other gays' - rights. He did not, however, issue an order for the laws to be changed.

Rather, Bloch's putting his eggs in Oregon's domestic partnership bill basket.

CONTINUED »

President Bush has a knack for getting his way.

The Commander-in-Chief threatened to veto Financial Services and General Government Appropriations Act unless Congress made clear none of the $120 million federal funds be used for domestic partner registry.

And, of course, Congress crumbled.

CONTINUED »

As anticipated, Oregonian Governor Ted Kulongoski signed the state's domestic partner bill this morning. Once the bill goes into effect on January 1, 2008, gays and lesbians will be afforded many - but not all - of the privileges of marriage.

With his signature, Kulongoski said, the Beaver state (seriously) will go from a state of "exclusion to one of complete inclusion". The governor also spilled some ink on a non-discrimination bill which prohibits discrimination based on sexual orientation. The Beaver state's looking more and more appealing. Perhaps we'll forge a trail down Oregon way…

Oregon gov. signs domestic partner bill [Houston Chronicle]

Oregon's one step closer to domestic partnership rights. The House voted yesterday that same-sex couples (among others) deserve many of the same rights as straight married couples. Speaking on the historic win, Basic Rights Oregon's Aisling Coghlan remarked:

Today is without question a monumental day for not only Oregon, but for our nation. Oregonians know too well the value of being able to protect our families–and this bill directly reflects that deeply held pro-family belief. Basic Rights Oregon applauds the Senators who voted in favor of basic fairness for all Oregon families, a value very much in step with the majority of Oregonians. We should all be proud of this historic day.
…
House Bill 2007 is not simply another piece of legislation, but a moral call that both the Senate and House have strongly answered and the Governor has pledged to meet.

Of course, the real celebration comes when Governor Ted Kulongoski signs his name, thus officiating House Bill 2007's legal status. Although, Kulongoski has already pledged to give up his John Hancock on this and an anti-discrimination bill.

Oregon Domestic Partnership Bill Heads to Governor's Desk [Salem News]

• Moscow's mayor doesn't want the planned Gay Pride party to happen on May 27, saying it will "provoke society." We wonder if he means provoke them to throw rocks at gays and harass them openly in the street. Whoops, that is already happening and the parade is still weeks away. [365 Gay]

• Ostensibly straight and married member of the British Parliament Mark Oaten says that his recent affair with a rent boy had more to do with the pressures of work than with his love of assfucking. He is now back with his wife who "understands his betrayal." [Pink News]

• 80% of old Greek people living in rural Cyprus are opposed to homosexuality. While we are not surprised by the statistic, weren't the Greeks the ones who invented homosexuality back in the day? [Irish Examiner]

• Colorado voters will get to decide whether gay Coloradans receive domestic partner benefits. A scary prospect. [Washington Blade]

No, we’re not talking abs, we’re talking taxes. What do you do if the state you live in affords all of the financial benefits of marriage to gay couples while the federal government still doesn’t? That’s the position the nearly 71,000 Californians have found themselves in this year come tax time.

The thorniest issue centers on the basic question of how to report income on a federal tax return. For example, if one partner earns $100,000 but a stay-at-home partner earns nothing, are they now entitled to report $50,000 of income on their individual returns? If the stay-home partner's $50,000 share isn't considered income, is it a taxable gift — or something else?

Domestic partners can't assume they'll be safe simply reporting income separately, the way they did before the state law took effect, some experts say. If the IRS decides to treat domestic partners more like married couples, some could find out later that they owe taxes because they weren't entitled to tax breaks they claimed.

"It's so bad that I don't know if I'd be able to file a return for these folks," said Kathleen Wright, a Bay Area tax attorney and professor at San Jose State University. She and others recommended filing for an extension, in hopes that the IRS will clarify the rules.

Basically, the answer from the IRS is ‘we have no idea.’ In the meantime, California’s married gays are left wondering what to do. And trust us, Turbo Tax is no help with this - we already tried.

Domestic partners stuck in tax-return limbo [Mercury News]

The Czech parliament has just voted to grant some rights to same-sex couples. It isn’t full marriage yet, but it’s a start for the generally liberal Eastern European country known mainly to Americans as “the place you go after college.”

If approved also by President Vaclav Klaus, the legislation will allow couples who register their partnership with authorities to have inheritance and health care rights similar to those granted now to heterosexual married couples.

The law, however, does not allow marriage or adoption of children by same-sex partners.

We’re booking our trip to Prague as we speak. Oh, and notice how we refrained from any use of the horrid pun “Czech-Mate?” You won’t get that kind of restraint from the AP. Well, at least in the copy.

Czech parliament approves gay partnership rights [Washington Blade]