Washington has enough votes to legalize gay marriage

Washington could be the seventh state in the country to legalize same-sex marriage.

On Monday Democratic Senator Mary Margaret Haugen announced she will back the measure, giving the Senate the 25th vote needed to pass the bill. The House already has enough votes to pass the measure.

This news has Margaret Witt and her partner Laurie McChesney excited about being one step closer to having the same rights as other couples. Witt said, “it’s exciting it’s one more step as I always think of it as becoming human.”

Laurie and Margaret have been together for almost a decade. “It’s a deep, deep commitment we have the same daily routine as any other family,” Witt said.

The LGBT Center in Spokane also says they are excited about Washington being one step closer to marriage equality in the state. Matthew Cannon with the center said, “the reality is closer to being that we can get married and be afforded the same legal protections, it brings our community closer together.”

However, this isn’t sitting well with everyone. At the State Capitol, people spoke out against the measure in a public hearing including Robert Rigg who said, “this is a small group of people making a decision to change a norm that has been in practice for over 400 years and in society since the beginning of time.”

Dan Jarms, Pastor of Faith Bible Church, is also against gay marriage and says he believes in what the bible stands for. “In scriptures eyes its a sin that is not helpful, goes against god’s plan for why he made man and woman,” Jarms said.

As for Margaret, she just wants to have the option to get married just like everyone else. Witt said, “for me it gives me that equal right that civil right of marriage and not something separate but equal.”