JOHN HANCOCKS

WA Marriage Foes Submit Enough Signatures For November Referendum

Opponents of Washington State’s new marriage-equality law submitted enough signatures today to bring the measure to the ballot box in November.  The signatures were submitted just one day before the new law was to take effect.

Preserve Marriage Washington (PMW) filed more than 200,000 signatures, which means—barring a lot of “Seymour Buns” and “I.C.Weiners”—Referendum 74 will qualify for a public vote. “The current definition of marriage works and has worked,” said PMW’s Joseph Backholm.

Apparently Backholm never heard about when divorce was nearly impossible, when blacks couldn’t marry whites, or when a man could legally rape a woman if they were husband and wife.

Freedom to Marry campaign director Marc Solomon issued the following statement:

“During the week in which loving and committed same-sex couples in Washington were preparing to share in the joy of the first marriage ceremonies in the state, anti-gay advocates have decided instead to submit signatures forcing them to put a hold on their happiness and fend off a referendum on whether or not they can get married.

“We know that Washingtonians believe in freedom and fairness, and a majority want to see all people share in the joy and responsibilities of marriage.  As an active partner in Washington United for Marriage, Freedom to Marry will work tirelessly to ensure that voters hear the stories, and learn about the lives of, loving and committed same-sex couples from Washington. We are confident that, as they do, they will conclude that a vote to take away their freedom to marry is out of sync with the Golden Rule values that all Washingtonians hold.”

Washington is part of Freedom to Marry’s Win More States Fund, which raises funds to protect our right in crucial marriage battleground states through grassroots organizing, TV and radio spots, and public education.

 

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