With the nail biting election in the rear view mirror, with Obama winning the election handily once all the swing state cards feel into place, it is hard to believe that Obama's reelection is the cherry on the top of an amazing dessert. It was a night that brought us the defeated of a proposed constructional ban of same sex marriage in Minnesota with the public voting in favor of gay marriage in Maine, Maryland, and Washington, marking the first time in history that marriage equality has won at the ballot box. Along with the the election of allies in congress and the senate, as well as in state government through out the country, and the first openly gay Senator Tammy Baldwin a Democratic from Wisconsin. This is promises to be a watershed moment in history.
In Washington Ref 74 has been projected to pass by Washington United For Marriage with 60% of the vote in, they say they have crouched the numbers and there is no way for the other side to beat out 52% lead in the polls. It has not officially been called by the state yet, and due to the fact that Washington is a vote by mail state and ballots just have to be postmarked by Tuesday Nov. 6th votes will be trickling into county auditors offices all across the state for about a week to come. So it will be some time before like the others it is "officially" declared by the news media. How ever in King country it is winning with over 60% approve and for those not from Washington King country is the county in which Seattle and its suburbs live and it also accounts for about 1/3 of the states population, which makes it the country that pretty much makes or brakes any campaign in the state, and it is on our side by a massive margin! The earliest that marriage license will be able to start to be issued is December 6th the day after the state officially declares the election.
This is big for one thing it is history making for another thing it represents a shift in public opinion of gay marriage. A shift that takes away the biggest talking point that our opponents had on their side which was that up until this point every state where marriage equality had been put before the voter it had been voted down, and now that is no longer true 3 times over! This is of more importance then just because it removes a talking point of those that oppose us, but it also has the power to help sway the courts in future decisions on marriage equality, because even though they are not supposed to be influenced by politics they also seldom want to just out to far ahead of what is public acceptance, and social values, and these wins show the courts the irreversible shift in public acceptance and social values in favor of gay rights and marriage equality in particular. these wins also serves as a road map to those in other states where the ground work is now in place to try and pass the same sorts of legislation, so that more states can be added to the list of states with marriage equality.
For now though I think I will sit back take a nice deep breath and enjoy the hard won victory for marriage equality that has taken place in my own home state, a win that makes me all that much prouder to call my self a Washingtonian. Until next time dear readers.
I was so happy to hear that equality in marriage passed in every state it was up in. You just know that Brian Brown and the whole NOM group spent the night crying like crazy, and into the next day at the very least.
ReplyDeleteYipeee! One step closer to full civil rights!!!!