Do you know what you're voting on?

So I've decided to enter the world of blogging with a rant about an f'd up piece of legislature, or, I should say, an f'd up opposition to a piece of legislature, that is currently making its way (in disguise, none the less) onto the ballot here in Washington State.

Earlier this year the state legislature approved and Governor Gregoire signed an expansion of the domestic partnership law, broadening the rights of gay and lesbian couples and unmarried couples over the age of 62 to (nearly) equate those of the legally married. Before the ink was dry, however, a group called Protect Marriage Washington was beginning to gather signatures on Referendum 71, blocking the ability of the expansion to be immediately placed into law.

The tricky thing about Referendum 71, and the thing voters have to be most conscious of if it does make it onto the ballot this November, is that a 'yes' vote on the Referendum will in fact approve the expansion of the domestic partnership law. Protect Marriage Washington is working to place the referendum on the ballot simply because they are playing the odds and assuming voters will reject, as they statistically do with referenda.

This somewhat backwards agenda has also worked against domestic partnership law supporters as it has forced them to have to convince voters not to sign for the approval of Ref. 71, but to support it if it does make it onto the ballot, creating a great deal of room for misunderstanding in the process.

It never ceases to amaze me the length to which some individuals and organizations will go to control the rights of others who are causing them no harm. Some will argue that the addition of Ref. 71 on the ballot is important because the public should be able to vote on this expansion of the domestic partnership law; that politicians shouldn't be making these types of decisions for the public. I believe it is more important to consider the significance of the fact that we are still having to debate who is deserving of particular rights in our society. Politicians aren't setting moral standards for our society by enacting this expansion of the domestic partnership law; they are simply recognizing the fact that these aren't debatable issues. They are making the statement that it isn't the place of government to hinder the ability of individuals and families, regardless of their makeup, to live their lives without fear of losing what matters most to them.

Please, Washington State voters, beat the odds. Don't place your vote on Ref. 71 without truly considering what it means for our citizens, our state, and our ability to preserve justice for all in our society.