BELLINGHAM - Some of the most vocal opposition to Washington's soon-to-be-approved same-sex marriage law has come from politicians and clergy who believe they are protecting traditional religious values.
But a few Bellingham congregations, and dozens of faith groups around the state, are throwing their support behind the gay marriage bill passed by the state Legislature this month.
At a pro-gay-marriage panel co-hosted by the Bellingham Unitarian Fellowship and Mt. Baker Planned Parenthood Saturday morning, Feb. 11, the three panelists urged the crowd of about 50 people to prepare for the coming months, when opponents plan to challenge the law with a referendum.
"One of the biggest arguments, obviously, will come from the faith perspective," said panelist Stephanie Kountouros, public policy coordinator of Mt. Baker Planned Parenthood. "So if we can also speak (in support of gay marriage) from a faith perspective, and especially an interfaith perspective, I think that can be tremendously strong."
Last week faith groups including the Bellingham Unitarian Fellowship and Beth Israel, Bellingham's Reform Judaism congregation, endorsed a declaration supporting marriage equality in Washington.
Even with Gov. Chris Gregoire expected to sign the bill into law Monday morning, Kountouros expressed doubt that gay and lesbian couples in Washington will be lining up to get marriage licenses in June, when the law would actually go into effect.
The law will remain in limbo for 90 days after the governor signs it, giving opponents until June 6 to gather 120,000 signatures to challenge the proposed law with a ballot measure. If enough signatures are gathered, the law would need to be approved by voters in November before it goes into effect.
Panelist Kate Miller, who has been in a relationship with her partner for 26 years, was legally married in Oregon during a brief stint in 2004 when Multnomah County was approving same-sex marriage licenses.
"At the time," she said, "we were thinking of getting married as a political act."
Her marriage lost its legal status when Oregon banned same-sex marriage several months later. But having her relationship publicly acknowledged had a profound effect on Miller, who said supporters came out of the woodwork when her marriage was announced in the newspaper.
Washington already recognizes domestic partnerships for same-sex couples, but Miller and other proponents of gay marriage say that creates a "separate but equal" situation that is unfair to gays and lesbians.
Opponents to the bill in the Washington state Senate argued earlier this month that gay marriage undermines the sanctity of marriages between one man and one woman.
Everett attorney Stephen Pidgeon had already filed an initiative last month seeking to change the current state statute; he said legalizing same-sex marriage "will lead to the liberalization of marriage laws to allow for polygamy and other forms of relationships," according to the Associated Press.
In the Senate a gay marriage bill passed by a 28-21 vote. The House approved its bill a week later by a vote of 55-43.
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