Domestic partnerships in Washington State

Groups supporting and
opposing Referendum 71

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Background:

Registered partnerships are available to same-sex couples, and to opposite-sex elderly couples in the state.

Senate Bill 5688 was passed by the legislature earlier in 2009. It would grant to registered domestic partners, and their children, a few hundred of the approximately 1,500 state and federal benefits and protections that are automatically given to opposite-sex married couples.

Referendum 71 is to be held on Election Day, 2009-NOV-03. It is an attempt to 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

They 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.

Lacking are conservative groups, such as fundamentalist and other evangelical churches and other Republican party organizations.

In alphabetic order, they are:

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
National Organization for Women ? Seattle Chapter
National Women?s Political Caucus of Washington
New Americans Action Fund
One America
Open Arms Community Church
Organization for Research and Learning
Organization of Chinese Americans of Greater Seattle
Out In Tacoma
Pacific Northwest Reconciling Ministries Network
Peace and Justice Action League of Spokane
People for Peace
People For the American Way
PFLAG Bellevue/Eastside
PFLAG Bellingham
PFLAG Everett/Snohomish
PFLAG Friday Harbor
PFLAG Kitsap
PFLAG Lower Columbia
PFLAG National
PFLAG Olympia
PFLAG Seattle
PFLAG Skagit/Sedro-Woolley
PFLAG Southwest Washington
PFLAG Spokane
PFLAG Tacoma
PFLAG Walla Walla
Pierce County AIDS Foundation
Pinay Sa Seattle
Planned Parenthood Votes! Washington
Pride at Work
Pride Foundation
Puget Sound Alliance for Retired Americans
Puget Sound Chapter
QLaw
Queer Foundation
Queer Kidz
Queer Sounds
Raising Our Asian Pacific American Representation
Religious Coalition for Equality
Richmond Beach United Church of Christ
Safe Schools Coalition
Sahngnoksoo
Seattle First Baptist Church
Seattle Gay News
Seattle Men?s Chorus
Seattle Metropolitan Elections Committee
Seattle Out and Proud/Seattle Pride
Seattle Police Officers? Guild
Seattle University Outlaws
Seattle Women?s Chorus
Secular Jewish Circle of Puget Sound
SEIU Healthcare Local NW
Senior Services
Snohomish County Democrats
Society of Social Work Leadership in Health Care
South Asian Bar Association of Washington (SABAW)
Spokane GLBT Film Festival
Tacoma Lesbian Concern
Tacoma Rainbow Center
Tacoma Social Justice
Tacoma United for Fairness
Teamsters Local 11746
Temple B?nai Torah
Temple Beth Am
Temple Beth Or
Temple De Hirsch Sinai
Three Dollar Bill Cinema
UAW Local 4121
UFCW Local
Unitarian Universalist Church of Spokane ? Pride Team
Unite Here Local
University Christian Church
University Unitarian Church
Urban League of Metropolitan Seattle
Vancouver Firefighters Union IAFF Local
Vancouver United Church of Christ
Vista Youth Center
Washington Association of Churches
Washington Bus
Washington Coalition of Sexual Assault Programs
Washington Community Action Network
Washington Education Association
Washington Gender Alliance
Washington Low Income Housing Alliance
Washington State Bar Association
Washington State Coalition Against Domestic Violence
Washington State Council of Fire Fighters
Washington State Democrats
Washington State Holocaust Education Resource Center
Washington State Labor Council
Washington State Nurses Association
Washington State Psychological Association
Washington State Senior Citizens? Lobby
Washington State Stonewall Democrats
Westside Unitarian Universalist Congregation
Whatcom Human Rights Task Force
Women's Funding Alliance
Woodland Park United Methodist Church
Young Democrats of Washington
YWCA Clark County
YWCA Kitsap County
YWCA Pierce County

The Seattle times went on record as supporting R-71. In an editorial on 2009-OCT-02, they stated:

"The Seattle Times strongly endorses voter passage of legislation to expand rights for registered domestic partners. The law, already adopted by the state Legislature and signed by Gov. Chris Gregoire, takes effect after a majority of voters mark 'Approved.' At the heart of R-71 is an earnest desire to preserve families and equally protect children and adults in all committed relationships — in essence, to better take care of themselves. ..."

"Referendum 71 is about loving couples — our relatives, friends and neighbors — who own property, operate businesses and take care of their children. State law, as now written, makes that harder to do."

"Approve R-71, for fairness and equality for all Washington families." ₅

Groups opposing Referendum 71:

Washington Values Alliance (WAVA) and the Protect Marriage Washington PAC
Faith and Freedom Network and the Faith & Freedom PAC

Christian Coalition
Concerned Citizens of Pierce County
The Constitution Party of Washington State
Council 1379 of the Knights of Columbus
Facts for Freedom
The Reagan Wing - Doug Parris
Washington Eagle Forum
Washington Opposed to Pro-Homosexual Policies
Washington Republican Liberty Caucus
Washington Values Alliance
YWAM & US Renewal

The Chronicle newspaper went on record as opposing R-71 because they regard it as a stepping stone towards same-sex marriage. On 2009-OCT-19 they stated in an editorial:

"Three years ago the state Supreme Court upheld, with a 5-4 vote, the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA). It is likely that if Ref. 71 passes, the state’s high court would overturn DOMA and allow the state to begin issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples. Ref. 71 is much more than an expansion of civil union rights for same-sex couples. It is about same-sex marriage in Washington state. We continue to believe that marriage should be reserved for one man with one woman. Vote no on Ref. 71." ₆

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/
3. "Protect Marriage Washington PAC Organizes to Gather Signatures for Referendum 71!," Washington Values Alliance, 2009-MAY-15, at: http://www.valuesaction.org/
4. "Washington Referendum 71 (2009)," Ballotpedia, at: http://ballotpedia.org/
5. "Approve Referendum 71 in the name of fundamental fairness for all Washington families," Seattle Times, 2009-OCT-02, at: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/
6. "Our views: Yes on Initiative 1033, No on Ref. 71," The Chronicle, 2009-OCT-10, at: http://www.chronline.com

Copyright © 2009 by Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance
Original posting: 2009-SEP-27
Latest update: 2009-SEP-31
Author: B.A. Robinson

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