Guess what City is The Advocate's Gayest City in the US?

Washington D.C. has been named the gayest city in the United States by The Advocate.

Below is how they come up with the format.

go here, for more

Picture This: Real Couple gets their Marriage License

These are the true faces of marriage equality. Larry Duncan, 56, and Randy Shepherd, 48, apply for their marriage license in the King County Administration Building.

I was glad to see this.

40 years of Love

For those who have given up on love, please take a look at James and Paul. They have been together 40 years and they will be married in Washington on Thursday.

Love is real, y'all!

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Fox News' Shepard Smith: Washington's Gay Marriage is a "Victory for Civil Rights".

Referendum 74 approved! Washington has Marriage Equality!

Washington United for Marriage (WUM) campaign manager Zach Silk declares victory:

After crunching numbers throughout the night, Washington United for Marriage (WUM), the broad coalition which built an historic statewide campaign, from a record-setting donor base to an unprecedented GOTV effort, all to defend the freedom to marry, today announced that Referendum 74 will be approved by voters. 

“This is a clear win,” said WUM campaign manager Zach Silk. “We have run the numbers every which way, and we can now confidently say that we have won. This is an historic day for Washington, an historic day for our country and, most of all, for families across the state who have dreamed of this day and the wedding celebrations to come.”
With 60 percent of the vote counted, R74 already has the support of 65% of King County and is performing well in key Eastern Washington counties. Simply put, it’s now impossible for opponents to overcome the 52-48% spread for R74. 

WUM built on a broad legislative effort that led to passage of the bipartisan marriage law in February. Nonetheless, essentially starting from scratch in June, the campaign built a $12.3 war chest with over 27,000 donors, 80% of whom hailed from the Evergreen State. The most common donation? Twenty-five-dollars, given over and over again. 

Ten-thousand, three-hour volunteer shifts for a total of 30,000 hours in direct voter outreach. Just in the last week, 100,000 doors were knocked and nearly 200,000 phone calls were logged on Monday and Tuesday. 

“We made history in so many ways,” said Silk. “Our volunteers were engaged, fired up and delivered. There has never been a ballot campaign in Washington that had this kind of breath and depth, from field to fundraising. We have much to celebrate and much to be proud of. With so much at stake, we challenged ourselves to do big things, and it made all the difference.”

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READ: Gov. Chris Gregoire's letter to Gov. Chris Christie

Hate Groups file a Referendum to repeal Gay Marriage in Washington State

Look out, Washington! The haters are already plotting to take away marriage equality in the state. As soon as Gov. Gregoire signed the bill into law, NOM and other hate groups started their plans to snatch it away.

They have filed a referendum repeal the marriage equality bill. All they need is 120,577 voter signatures by June 6th. This is very doable, so please stop these haters from ruining happiness for gay and lesbian couples in Washington.

Also, to check out the haters' website, go here

Protesters came for Santorum in Washington - WATCH

When Santorum comes to town, Hell breaks loose!

Yesterday, protesters were ready to let Santorum have it ... WATCH


If he's the frontrunner, the GOP is doomed.

Gov. Gregoire signs Washington State's Marriage Equality Bill - VIDEO

Washington state passes Marriage Equality Bill

More good news on the Marriage Equality front! The House of Representatives in Washington passed a bill for marriage equality with the vote of 55 to 43.

As promised, Governor Chris Gregoire will sign the bill into law next week!

Congrats, y'all!

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WATCH: Reactions from the Marriage Equality vote in Washington

Sen. Kevin Ranker talks about gay father


Sen. Ed Murray talks about marrying his partner


Evil Ken Hutcherson

Washington state Senate approves same-sex marriage bill on 28-21 vote

Gov. Chris Gregoire is very happy

Yes, they did it! The Senate approved marriage equality in Washington state!

The Washington state Senate, in an historic action, voted 28 to 21 on Wednesday night to legalize marriage between same-sex partners.

"We ask for your support tonight because marriage is the way society says you are family," said state Sen. Ed Murray, D-Seattle, chief sponsor of the legislation and a gay man in a two-decade partnership.
Regardless of how his colleagues voted, Murray added, they will receive a wedding invite from him. A practicing Catholic, Murray has said he is pained that he will not be able to marry in his church.

The House of Representatives is expected to approve the legislation within a week. Gov. Chris Gregoire, who watched Wednesday night's debate, has become a passionate advocate of marriage equality at the end of what she described as a "personal journey."

I hope to have video of some of the testimonies. This is huge, folks!


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Washington is So Close to Marriage Equality

Washington has the 25 votes for marriage equality, thanks to Senator Mary Margaret Haugen!

 Haugen's announcement came has hundreds of people filled the capitol to advocate for and against gay marriage. State senators began considering the bill during a morning committee hearing.

In a statement, Haugen said, "I know this announcement makes me the so-called 25th vote, the vote that ensures passage. That's neither here nor there. If I were the first or the seventh or the 28th vote, my position would not be any different. I happen to be the 25th because I insisted on taking this much time to hear from my constituents and to sort it out for myself, to reconcile my religious beliefs with my beliefs as an American, as a legislator, and as a wife and mother who cannot deny to others the joys and benefits I enjoy."

They only needed 25 to pass the bill forward from the Senate! We are getting there!

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Washington Governor introduces Marriage Equality Bill - VIDEO

Washington Governor Chris Gregoire is doing it

In Washington: State Officials releases Referendum 71 Petition Names

Oooh, it's about to get jazzy up in here! Washington state official decided to release of the 138 K signatures for Referendum 71, an anti-gay marriage petition, for the whole world to see:

State officials are releasing copies of petitions that forced a vote on a 2009 domestic partnership law.

The Washington State Archives provided a DVD to The Associated Press on Monday showing the 138,000 signatures for Referendum 71. The disclosure came just a few hours after a federal judge ruled that the signers are unlikely to face harassment.

Opponents of the law that expanded gay partnership rights managed to get enough signatures in 2009 to force a vote on the issue. They had pushed in court to keep the names of petition supporters private, arguing that it was a contentious issue and that people could be threatened.
An attorney for the group plans to appeal the decision.

This will be interesting. I'll keep you posted on the fallout.

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Interesting Quote: Sen. Ed Murray

“Gay and lesbian families in Washington now enjoy the same state spousal rights that their married straight friends enjoy – except for the name ‘marriage’. The recognition that their loving, lifelong commitment is no different from the loving, lifelong commitment of straight couples is the final step to achieving full equality. I believe the Legislature and the public are both ready to take that final step.”

Yesterday, he introduced legislation that would give marriage equality to gays and lesbians in Washington state.


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Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) leads the push for a Gay Marriage Ban in D.C.

In hopes to gain votes and support from hate groups, certain GOP fools will pursue legislation to ban gay marriage in D.C.

Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), chairman of the conservative Republican Study Committee (RSC), told The Hill that he will push for a vote on the controversial issue in the 112th Congress. The RSC has 175 members. “I think RSC will push for it, and I’m certainly strongly for it. I don’t know if we’ve made a decision if I’ll do it or let another member do it, but I’m 100 percent for it,” Jordan said.

In the last Congress, Jordan was the lead sponsor on the D.C. Defense of Marriage Act. The bill was introduced after the D.C. City Council and then-Mayor Adrian Fenty indicated they would recognize same-sex marriages.

Jordan’s measure garnered 53 co-sponsors last year. But it is expected to attract more support in the GOP-led House in 2011.

This is so ridic! Why are they interfering in this?  Idiots! And let's remember Jim's name. He should be on the list of folks to vote out of office.

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Peek A Boo, I See your Anti-Gay ass now, boo!

Today the Supreme Court ruled that the names of the folks who signed Referendum 71 in Washington will be made public.

Seattle P.I. reports:

Justices ruled in a case called Doe V. Reed. They heard oral arguments in Washington, D.C., April 28.

The conservative group that tried to block release of the signatures wanted the nation's high court to uphold a lower court ruling that said signing petitions and referendum is constitutionally protected political speech - which by law is OK to engage in anonymously.

The group, Protect Marriage Washington, asked justices to shield the names of the 138,000 people who signed Referendum 71 petitions in hopes of overturning the "everything but marriage" same-sex domestic partner law. In November Washington voters upheld the new statute. Gay rights groups have said they'll post the petition signers' names online, and some fear harassment or threats if their names are revealed.

State officials had said there are laws in place to protect people who might be threatened.

See, you can't hate and hide.

R-71 is approved!

R-71 is real and active!

Washington state voters have approved Referendum 71, keeping a law that expands state benefits for registered same-sex and some senior domestic partners.

The tally Thursday afternoon saw the vote to approve R-71 widening its lead 52.5 percent to 47.5 percent.

That lead now appears insurmountable. The Secretary of State's Office estimates another 500,000 to 600,000 ballots statewide are still outstanding, with about half expected from King County, where the measure is being approved by slightly more than 2 to 1.

"Voters across the state listened to the personal stories of lesbian and gay families and the challenges they faced and sent a strong message that we want to see all families treated equally under the law in our state," said Anne Levinson, chairwoman of Washington Families Standing Together, which worked for the measure's approval.

Yes!!

Get Out and Vote!

Maine, Washington, Mich, New York, Ohio, D.C., New Jersey and other states need help! If you are there, Vote!


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