DECLINE TO SIGN REFERENDUM 71
Our Washington State lawmakers took an important step toward equality when they overwhelmingly voted to expand Washington’s domestic partnership law this year and give registered domestic partners access to rights and responsibilities available to spouses under state law.
However, opponents of equality have filed Referendum 71, seeking to repeal the Domestic Partnership Expansion Law of 2009. Their goal is to collect the 120,000 signatures needed to put the referendum on the ballot this November. If they succeed, same-sex couples could lose access to 250 legal protections.
No one’s basic rights should ever be taken away at the ballot box. You can help defend these new protections by pledging to decline to sign Referendum 71 and asking your family and friends to take the pledge, too. Go to the Equal Rights Washington website at:
http://www.equalrightswashington.org/index.html to sign the pledge.
You can read more about how costly this referendum could be at: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/editorialsopinion/2009203965_editb11gay.html
As the editorial says:
“This is an unnecessary campaign at a lousy time. Don’t sign. Don’t put our state through another rendition of the culture wars. Washington voters have much to manage: Many residents are out of work; others worry they will lose their jobs. Thousands of people have difficulty making ends meet.
No one needs a campaign to stomp on legislation that doesn’t hurt anyone. The bill in question tidies language in numerous statutes and legislation to give registered gay and lesbian domestic partners equality in business and legal affairs, the same rights married couples enjoy.”
Please, decline to sign!