Washington Senator Patty Murray has
said she is proud of her state's effort to legalize gay marriage.
Murray voiced support for the effort in
a message to her Facebook and Twitter followers.
“I am proud of the Washington
legislature for taking this step toward equality for gay and lesbian
families. I support this important effort and look forward to its
passage,” Murray
wrote.
The 61-year-old Murray last year
publicly flipped on the issue of gay marriage.
In 1996, Murray was among the Democrats
who voted in favor of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), which bans
federal recognition of the legal marriages of gay and lesbian
couples.
In announcing last year her support for
a bill that would repeal DOMA, Murray said it was time to end the
policy and “make sure all married couples are treated equally in
the eyes of the federal government.”
Governor Chris Gregoire, who previously
signed bills expanding the state's current domestic partnership law,
last week publicly endorsed marriage equality for the first time.
The bill, officially filed on Friday,
remains
two votes shy of passage. Its first public hearing is scheduled
for January 23.