WA AMENDMENT PUSH STARTS: From the Seattle Post-Intelligencer

Foes of same-sex marriage yesterday announced a drive to add a ban to the state constitution.

The newly formed Allies for Marriage and Children, which includes social conservatives, community activists and some religious leaders, said it is responding to two recent court rulings that invalidated the state's Defense of Marriage Act.

That law, passed in 1998 by the Legislature after overriding Gov. Gary Locke's veto, defines marriage as the union of a man and a woman. Many states have passed similar laws and state constitutional amendments, and President Bush and some congressional allies have suggested an amendment to the U.S. Constitution banning gay marriage.

The rulings from King and Thurston county judges are on appeal to the state Supreme Court. A state constitutional amendment must originate in the Legislature, with a two-thirds vote in both chambers, followed by a statewide public vote. ...

But state Rep. Ed Murray, D-Seattle, one of four openly gay men in the House, said the measure is doomed to fail and probably wouldn't even get out of committee.

Equal Rights Washington, a group advocating equal treatment for gays, said marriage is "a pro-family ideal" that should be available to all. Children need a safe and loving environment created by nurturing parents, regardless of the couple's gender, the group said.

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posted by Eve at 3:28 PM | link

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