Yellow Pages
The fair and just vote on Referendum 71 would be for “approved.”
The ballot measure affirms the rights and responsibilities of domestic partners as spelled out in SB 5688, passed in the 2009 legislative session by overwhelming majorities in both houses.
We expect that a majority of voters may agree with the Legislature that this is an issue of equal rights, not the “slippery slope” leading to legalized marriage between same-sex partners, as opponents claim.
Unfortunately, R-71 reflects one of the dangers in a democratic system; there is always the potential that a majority can be found that is willing to take away the rights of a minority.
The new civil union law was to have taken effect on July 26, but anti-gay rights groups such as Protect Marriage Washington were able to just barely get enough petition signatures to force the measure onto the ballot.
Checking the box on the ballot marked “approved” upholds the new state law. The “rejected” box means a voter opposes civil union rights for same-sex couples.
For too long good people have been marginalized over the question of their sexual orientation. It has also been one of the uglier sides of the so-called “culture wars,” driven by fear and the assumed right of some to sit in judgment of others’ lives.
Far from endangering “traditional marriage,” R-71 ensures that domestic partners will have the same rights as anyone to the joys — and burdens — of family life. That includes sharing in the benefits of a spouse’s employment such as health care, savings plans and the same income tax advantages enjoyed by married couples who file jointly.
The measure would also provide for domestic partnerships between older men and women for whom “traditional” marriage could mean significant changes in their financial situations.
Marriage between a man and a woman is a cultural and religious institution reaching back thousands of years, which inarguably makes it “traditional.” Most of the arguments being made against R-71 are based on religious and cultural grounds.
We simply disagree that allowing civil unions among persons of the same sex poses a danger to traditional marriage between a man and a woman. Men and women through the ages have been quite capable of endangering their own marriages.
About 50 percent of all marriages in America end in divorce. The causes can include infidelity, alcohol and drug abuse, financial stress and, sometimes, just plain old incompatibility.
It is highly unlikely that denying the rights of same-sex couples will do anything to change that.
Vote “approved” on R-71, a measure that preserves the civil rights of many of our fellow citizens.
