George Bakan from Seattle Gay News passes along this effort to stand up against the Referendum 71 effort and, while most signature gathering probably won’t be focused anywhere near Capitol Hill, it’s worth spreading the word to get family friends in all parts of the state to think twice before signing any referendum sheets stuck in their face over the next weeks. As SGN reports, the referendum to repeal Washington’s new domestic partner law needs more than 120,000 signatures to qualify for the November ballot.
Join us in opposing discrimination against same-sex partners.Pledge to Decline to Sign Referendum 71 today. It’s up to the rest of us to ensure opponents of Domestic Partnerships do not take Washington State two steps back on this critical civil rights issue.Lawmakers took a huge step forward in protecting Washington families when they voted overwhelmingly to expand Washington’s domestic partnership law and gave registered partners all of the same rights as married couples under State law. Referendum 71 was filed to repeal the Domestic Partnership Expansion Law of 2009. If referendum backers are able to collect 120,000 signatures needed to put the referendum on the ballot, registered domestic partners could lose 250 legal protections in the November election.Ask your friends, family, and co-workers to take the pledge also, in order to keep Washington’s Domestic Partnership Law.Thank You!
I remember clearly the day that the Washington legislature voted to upgrade the rights granted to couples in domestic partnerships. I also remember saying that equality opponents were never going to sit stilll. Never had I wanted so badly to be wrong, but sadly, I was right.
All I have to say to the people who support this referendum is:
Why? How does this issue affect you, your marriage, or your life in any way? All this referendum will do if it passes is strip people-fellow human beings-of their rights. Certain couples are already being denied, at last count, 1,138 federal rights (Source: http://lataxlawyer.net/ab205.html) Why would you want to strip them of the very few rights that they did gain when our new domestic partnership laws went into effect? This isn’t an issue about religion. You don’t have to personally accept LGBT people -heck, you don’t even have to talk to them. Your churches can continue to refuse to bless same-sex unions. All you have to do is acknowlege that in those same sex unions are two PEOPLE.
DECLINE TO SIGN!!!
This is one of the greatest things about this state. Domestic partnership would be fantastic for so many of my friends. Why do people have to be such haters??
I am voting FOR this.