Washington enacts domestic partnerships.
By on Apr 22nd, 2007 at 9:32 am
Washington enacts domestic partnerships.
“Washington Gov. Chris Gregoire signed into law Saturday a measure to create domestic partnerships, giving gay and lesbian couples some of the same rights that come with marriage. … People in the crowd cried as Gregoire relayed stories of couples who testified before lawmakers this year about how they have been denied hospital access to dying partners, or were not allowed to plan their funerals.”
View Most Popular
Advertisement
What We're About
What We're Fighting For
What We're Fighting Against
Featured
Subscribe to the Progress Report
Topic CloudView topics sorted by popularity
Afghanistan
Bachmann
Beck
Boehner
Business
Cheney
Civil Rights
Congress
Corporate Ethics
Dobbs
Economy
Education
Election
Energy
Environment
Ethics
Fox News
Gingrich
Glenn Beck
Global Warming
Health Care
Immigration
International Relations
Justice
LGBT
Lieberman
Limbaugh
Media
Military
O'Reilly
Obama
Palin
Pelosi
Politics
Race
Radical Right
Religion
Sports
Steele
Stimulus
Tea Parties
Tea Party
Terrorism
Veterans
Women's Rights
Visit Our Affiliated Sites
Reports
In-depth studies on select topics
Got a hot tip?
Have a hot news tip? We'd love to hear from you. Use the form below to send us the latest.
ArchivesBlog Roll
Congrats, to Gregoire. A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. And this is a pretty good first step.
It’s the word “marriage” that freaks out many otherwise fair & reasonable people. But the injustice suffered by those denied the option of marriage is unfair and unreasonable, so this law is a great remedy.
And I don’t think the poor, misguided pastor is going to get many people fuming the wrath of God by invoking “marriage-lite”. It just doesn’t sound like a fighting word.
April 22nd, 2007 at 9:44 ama measure to create domestic partnerships, giving gay and lesbian couples some of the same rights that come with marriage….
It’s a step in the right direction. But still, it is separate, but not equal. Who are we to legislate whom someone can and cannot love? Should we have laws that regulate relationships between consenting adults? If so, why? How is that not State sponsorship of some religious views over other views?
April 22nd, 2007 at 9:47 amIn fact, the article illustrates my last point:
April 22nd, 2007 at 9:52 am
Well, what exactly are the differences between marriage and a domestic partnership? Since legal and financial obligations are at stake, the state has to define the relationships between people.
Washington lawmakers have said they plan to expand the rights covered in the Domestic Partnership Act in the next session of the legislature. That’s what’s important. It’s addressing the actual injustice and not the perceived injustice.
And it’s just insulting to African-Americans to call it “separate but equal”. Unless one wants government to get out of domestic relationships altogether and force everyone to form family contracts, this slow but steady approach is the way to go. And don’t sound so sour. This is actually good news. It passed with a two thirds majority.
April 22nd, 2007 at 10:28 amOh great. What next? Legalisation of paedophilia or polygamy?
–
April 22nd, 2007 at 11:05 ammatthews.frank@gmail.com
Geez Jake (hiding behind yet another name huh?) you better be careful. Pediphelia and polygamy are already illegal. As there is serious doubt after reading some of your rantings here on TP that any woman would come near you, you must like little boys. That is the mo of your party!!!!
April 22nd, 2007 at 11:29 amI find it hard to conceive that we’re even debating the issue in this, the twenty-first century. It should be equal rights for civil marriage regardless of whether it is opposite sex or same sex.
I really don’t understand why people insist on linking pedophilia and gay in the same sentence, either. One describes a person who is attracted to children, the other is talking about a man who is attracted to other men, or a woman attracted to other women. Statistically the vast majority of pedophiles are straight men (I have a link to some research done – will try to find it and paste later).
Regards.
April 22nd, 2007 at 11:54 amI knew I liked Gov Gregoire. I’m so glad that tiny prick Rossi didn’t win the governorship — this certainly wouldn’t be happening today.
#5 – Frank
Still cruising, eh? I can see what’s on your mind….
April 22nd, 2007 at 12:00 pm“Still cruising, eh? I can see what’s on your mind….”
Shut up. I’m not gay. That’s just disgusting.
–
April 22nd, 2007 at 12:10 pmmatthews.frank@gmail.com
Shut up. I’m not gay. That’s just disgusting.
Comment by Frank Matthews
Dude, I never said you were gay. You said that.
April 22nd, 2007 at 1:05 pmMaybe you’re into polygamy…?
5 – polagamy between consenting adults should be legalized.
April 22nd, 2007 at 1:10 pm#11. Historically, polygamy has seldom been between consenting adults. Women are nearly always at a disadvantage. And it properly belongs to an Era before the Welfare State.
We’re discussing legal and financial rights. What sexual activities consenting adults engage in is none of our business, but you’ll have a tough time arguing that polygamy can work without widespread inequality. Even Mohammed in the Koran says of polygyny that a man should have no more than one wife if he is unable to treat another wife equally. And even Islam caps it at four wives –and even that is defended based on the high number or widows who needed care and protection.
It’s wise not to confuse sexual mores with contractual partnerships. The two are not the same.
April 22nd, 2007 at 1:36 pmI’d like to point out (especially to “Frank”) that the vast majority of pedophiles are HETEROSEXUAL MALES who prey on FEMALES. These pedophiles’ primary victims are their own daughters, nieces and granddaughters or the daughters of their girlfriends.
April 22nd, 2007 at 3:06 pmI know it’s more “fun” to place the blame for pedophilia on gay men, but the reality is that pedophilia has more to do with opportunity than gender. The overwhelming majority of STRAIGHT men who engage in pedophilic activity simply have more opportunity to victimize boys than they do girls–Boy Scout troop leaders (note that the Brownies/Girl Scouts rarely engage in activities where girls can be left alone with adult men), Roman Catholic priests, Little League coaches. It was the very fear that men, especially single men, were unable to control their sexual urges which led to the current state that elementary school teachers are almost exclusively female (lower pay also feeds into this “concern”–the theory being that a man who’s willing to work for the lower pay must have some ulterior motive for teaching little kids).
The increased reporting of molestation of boys has led conservatives to push for this misguided conflation of “pedophile = gay” since conservatives can’t quite grasp the idea of availability being a pedophile’s primary reasoning. The cons want to push pedophilia as a sexual deviancy rather than a matter of POWER and CONTROL over another human being. Most pedophiles who’ve been interviewed over the years have admitted their victims have been cases of opportunity, not based on gender–if a boy’s more easily available, he’s the target, even if a girl would be “better”.
Great, this is how the system is supposed to work. Whether the issue is abortion or gay partnerships, legislatures are supposed to be working together to fashion something that works for everyone, not just optimized for a few.
April 22nd, 2007 at 8:42 pmGreat, this is how the system is supposed to work. Whether the issue is abortion or gay partnerships, legislatures are supposed to be working together to fashion something that works for everyone, not just optimized for a few.
Comment by Jason M. Hendler
I’m glad you agree with what Gov Gregoire has done, Jason.
April 22nd, 2007 at 9:17 pmYay!!!!
We now have “straights only” and “gays only” drinking fountains. Equality on the march!
/snark
April 23rd, 2007 at 4:52 pmStill holding out hope for legislation for you?
April 23rd, 2007 at 4:53 pm