Domestic partnerships in Washington State

2009: Groups supporting and
opposing Referendum 71. Part 1

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Background:

Registered partnerships are available to same-sex couples, and to opposite-sex elderly couples in the state. However, the benefits granted to these couples were limited

Senate Bill 5688 was passed by the legislature early in 2009. It granted to registered domestic partners, and their children, all of the few hundred of state benefits and protections given to opposite-sex married couples. They were denied approximately 1,100 federal benefits and protections that are automatically given to opposite-sex married couples because of the federal DOMA law. In summary:

	Same-sex domestic partners would not be allowed to marry.
	Domestic partners would receive only the protections and benefits given by the state.
	They would be denied the approximately 1,140 federal benefits that are automatically given to all married couples.

Referendum 71 was scheduled to be held on Election Day, 2009-NOV-03. It was sponsored by a group of conservative religious groups in the hopes of vetoing the bill:

	Approving this referendum would reinstate the bill.
	Rejecting this referendum would veto the bill.

Groups supporting Referendum 71:

Washington Families Standing Together supports both the domestic partnership law and voteing to "Affirm"  Referendum 71. ₁ They reported that as of 2009-SEP-27, their position is endorsed by 207 groups. ₂

The latter appear to be a very broadly based group of agencies: religious, union, parent support, elderly support, civil rights groups, etc. One liberal Baptist church is included as are two gay-positive Republican Party groups.

Completely missing were conservative groups, such as fundamentalist and other evangelical churches and other Republican party organizations.

In alphabetic order, supporters included:

14th District Democrats
1st District Democrats
32nd District Democrats
34th District Democrats
36th District Democrats
37th District Democrats
38th District Democrats
3rd District Democrats
40th District Democrat
45th District Democrats
46th District Democrats
47th District Democrats
48th District Democrats
5th District Democrats
6th District Democrats
Acorn
Advisory Council on Aging and Disability Services Seattle/King County
AFT Seattle Community Colleges
All Souls Universalists Community
American Association of University Women, Washington State
American Civil Liberties Union
American Federation of Government Employees
American Federation of Teachers
American Friends Service Committee
American Jewish Committee
Anti-Defamation League
Art With Heart
Asian and Pacific Islander Women and Family Safety Center
Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance
Asian Pacific Directors Coalition
Asian Pacific Islander Coalition of King County
Asian Pacific Islander Community Leadership Foundation (ACLF)
Associated Ministries of Pierce County
Bellingham Unitarian Fellowship
BiNet Seattle
Blue Mountain Heart to Heart
Capitol Hill Chamber of Commerce
Cedar River Clinics
Central Washington Progress
Childhaven
Children's Alliance
Children's Campaign Fund
Children's Home Society of Washington
Church Council of Greater Seattle
Clark County Democratic Central Committee
Community to Community Development
Compassion and Choices
Congregation Kol Ami
CREDO Mobile
Democratic Advancement Political Action Committee
disAbility Resources of Southwest Washington
Downtown Seattle Association
Eastern Washington Voters
Economic Opportunity Institute
El Centro de la Raza
Entre Hermanos
Equal Rights Washington
Equality Federation
Evergreen Fellowship Board of Trustees
First United Methodist Church of Tacoma
Fuse
Gay City Health Project
Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN) of Washington StateGreater Seattle Business Association
Greater Seattle Chamber of Commerce
Green River Community College GSA
Human Rights Campaign
Immanuel Presbyterian
Ingersoll Gender Center
Inland Northwest Business Alliance
Inland Northwest LGBT Center
Inland Oasis
Inlaws & Outlaws
Japanese American Citizens League
Jewish Family Service
Jewish Federation of Greater Seattle
Join the Impact
King County Bar Association
King County Coalition Against Domestic Violence
King County Coalition Against Domestic Violence
Kitsap County HIV AIDS Foundation
Kol HaNeshamah
Korean American Bar Association of Washington (KABA)
Lake Washington Educational Association
Lambda Legal
Latina/o Bar Association of Washington
Latino Political Action Committee
League of Education Voters
League of Women Voters of Seattle
Legal Voice (formerly Northwest Women's Law Center)
Lesbian and Gay Child Care Task Force
Lifelong AIDS Alliance
Log Cabin Republicans
Lutheran Public Policy Network of Washington State
Mainstream Republicans of Washington
Metropolitan Democratic Club
Micah Project, Tacoma
Middle Eastern Legal Association of Washington
Minority Executive Directors Coalition
Morningside Academy
NARAL Pro-Choice Washington
National Asian Pacific American Women's Forum
National Association of Social Workers, Washington State Chapter
National Center for Lesbian Rights
National Gay and Lesbian Task Force

This topic continues on the next essay

References used in this essay:

The following information sources were used to prepare and update the above essay. The hyperlinks are not necessarily still active today.

1. "Approve REF.71," Washington Families Standing Together, at: http://approvereferendum71.org/
2. "Organizations Endorsing Washington Families Standing Together," at: http://approvereferendum71.org/

Copyright © 2009 to 2011 by Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance
Original posting: 2009-SEP-27
Latest update: 2011-NOV-13
Author: B.A. Robinson

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