Gov. Chris Gregoire signed same-sex marriage into law Monday afternoon. Three hours later, opponents started the process to overturn it.
“It’s signed,” Gregoire told a cheering crowd packed into the State Reception Room at the Capitol.
Both moves were anticipated: Gregoire herself requested the legislation, and opponents said that if the bill passed, they’d file a referendum to put the issue to voters.
The filing means same-sex marriage will be put to voters in November if referendum backers get 120,577 valid signatures by June 6, which they say won’t be a problem.
“I think that will be the easier part of this job,” said Joseph Backholm, after filing the referendum on behalf of the campaign Preserve Marriage Washington. He is the director of the Family Policy Institute of Washington, which is helping lead the coalition to overturn the law. The campaign includes the National Organization for Marriage, among other groups.
Backholm said he expects to start collecting signatures in two to three weeks, once Referendum 73 has been processed by the state. Should the measure make the ballot, the same-sex marriage law – scheduled to take effect June 7 – would be put on hold pending the outcome of the election.
Gregoire seemed confident Monday that voters would uphold same-sex marriage.
“If asked, the voters in the state of Washington will say yes to marriage equality,” she told the crowd. Gregoire, who is not seeking re-election, later tweeted that Monday was her “proudest day as governor.”
She credited supporters’ sharing of personal stories for making passage of the law possible. Proponents said they are gearing up for the battle ahead.
“It’s a huge fight that’s ahead of us to preserve our rights, and I will be there,” said Matthew Shrader, a 25-year-old from Olympia who attended the signing. “Celebrate today, defend tomorrow.”
Celebrate, they did. Rep. Jamie Pedersen and Sen. Ed Murray, the openly gay Seattle Democrats who sponsored the legislation, spoke at the bill signing. They could hardly say Gregoire’s name without the crowd erupting in applause. Cheers of “Greg-oire” and “four-more-years” filled the room.
“My friends, welcome to the other side of the rainbow,” Murray said. “No matter what the future holds, nothing will take this moment in history away from us.”
The signing makes Washington the first state to repeal a defense-of-marriage act, Pedersen told the crowd. It makes Washington the seventh state to adopt same-sex marriage.
Claudia Gorbman, a University of Washington Tacoma film professor, attended the signing with her partner, Pam Keeley. They received one of a handful of the pens Gregoire used, which she distributed after the signing.
“We’ve been together for 20 years,” Gorbman said. “To finally have the institutional recognition and sanction of our government … it is so liberating.”
The two already have booked a venue for December, the soonest same-sex couples would be able to marry if referendum sponsors collect the needed signatures.
They say they’re confident the law will be upheld, but have a backup plan just in case.
“On the off chance it doesn’t go through, we’ll have a heck of a party anyway,” Gorbman said.
Alexis Krell: 360-943-7123
alexis.krell@thenewstribune.com
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