Ref 71

I don't see why this should be considered horseshit.

From my reading about it the referendum delivers everything that gays would want except a victory in a semantic argument. Pushing further than the rights, while a arguably not so intelligent stand for pro-marriage people to take, only serves to create more contention against gays as it insinuates the actual existence of a "gay agenda" which is what scares hetero America.

I voted against the marriage amendment a few years back in SC because it specifically denied even domestic partnerships. I couldn't jive with specifically excluding that classification. Most of SC disagreed though and it passed. That is what fighting the semantic argument is getting gays in most states. They are losing the rights they seek over a word because of a refusal to compromise.

Certain groups in this debate, read: religious people, want to hold on to the word marriage to define the institution at hand. If gays are able to get the rights afforded to married couples, which is the crux of the matter, who gives a shit what it is called? Pushing for the word has done more damage to the progress gays have made in this country than even misleading information in the 80's concerning HIV/AIDS could have IMNSHO.

If the rights are afforded, throw opponents a bone, further define marriages as being performed by churches and domestic partnerships as not. If you get hitched at a progressive church you got married, congrats. If you got hitched at the Justice of Peace, call it marriage if you want, no one is going to give a rats ass and eventually domestic partnership is going to drop from the lexicon.

Pushing Jim Bob and Michelle Duggars' buttons only marches gays backwards. Compromise on semantics only moves acceptance forward. Yeah it's a shitty creeping implementation but you gotta pick your battles. Gays chose poorly on this one.

The state gave the rights. Then the jerk-os decided to file Ref. 71 to put the rights of a minority to a popular vote. It made the ballot so the gist of it is you vote yes on the referendum to allow the gays to have domestic partnerships etc. A no vote votes down the state issued rights.

Looking deeper into it it seems the legislature of Washington state went around the people and created the current laws. If the Washington state constitution allows for this type of referendum where the vote is brought to the people I am more in favor of that than legislative fiat.

I don't see the demographics of Washington state voting to reject this though. I hope not as this is some of the better worded and smarter same-sex legislation I have seen.