Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Washington: It's Crunch Time to Protect Domestic Partnerships!

Remember that other election happening next Tuesday? You know, the one in Washington? The one where domestic partnerships are up for a popular vote?

Yes, you heard me right. Domestic partnerships are now at risk in Washington. There's only one week left until Election Day, and the time is now to get working to protect Washington's LGBT families!





These are some of the ads now on the air in Washington thanks to our support. And fortunately, they're up just at the right time. The KING 5 poll shows Referendum 71 narrowly ahead 50-43, even though the University of Washington poll shows a stronger 56-39 lead for Approve 71. And even if the actual numbers are more like UW's, we can't just rest on those laurels in an unpredictable low turnout election. And especially if the numbers are more like KING's, then this may be a close election where every vote counts!

Think about it. For many thousands of senior couples and LGBT families, their basic rights and responsibilities are on the line. Their lives will be made far more difficult if R-71 is rejected and domestic partner rights are stripped away. All families deserve equal protection under the law, and Washington families will get something closer to equal protection if R-71 is approved.

Don't these families deserve protection?



Obviously, the anti-equality forces don't. Focus on the Family and NOM are now dumping money into Washington to deceive voters into rejecting R-71. They whine and scream over all of the usual objections to marriage equality... But in this case, it isn't even marriage equality!

Sound familiar? It should! Here in Nevada, our very own "Luv Guv" Gibbons used these same tired and blatantly false "arguments" to try to block final passage of SB 283, Nevada's domestic partnership law. Fortunately he didn't succeed this year, but perpetual homophobe campaigner Richard Ziser is already planning to try again next year. Believe me, what happens in Washington this year will have a profound impact on what happens in Nevada next year and in other states considering similar DP/civil union legislation.

This is why I must ask you one more time to remember all the families in Washington at risk. Please donate what you can to approve R-71 and/or volunteer to call for equality. Our action will really make the difference.

These are the last days for Washingtonians to mail in their ballots. Again, turnout will be critical in determining the fate of domestic partnerships. Let's get R-71 approved in Washington so that families there are protected and all of us in Nevada and elsewhere need not worry about any more radical religious right attacks on our families.

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