Washington Governor to Sponsor Same-Sex Marriage Bill

Religion Today | Published: Jan 14, 2012

Washington Governor to Sponsor Same-Sex Marriage Bill

January 15, 2012

Washington Gov. Christine Gregoire announced her plans to make the state the seventh to legalize same-sex marriage, WORLD News Service reports. Gregoire, a Catholic, said she had "been on my own journey" and that "it has been a battle for me with my religion," but that her beliefs should have no bearing on how she did her job. Same-sex civil unions, which Washington legalized in 2009, are not the same as marriage, she said. Joseph Backholm, executive director of the Family Policy Institute of Washington, said he was fairly optimistic the bill would ultimately not pass. The state's best interest is served by creating "the greatest probability that children will be raised by their mother and father," he said.

Washington Governor to Sponsor Same-Sex Marriage Bill