On Thursday, the day opponents of
Referendum 74 conceded defeat, Dan Savage thanked straight allies for
their support in approving gay marriage.
Savage is the editor of Seattle
alternative The Stranger and a co-creator of the It Gets
Better Project.
Passage of Referendum 74 allows a gay
marriage law approved by lawmakers to take effect on December 6.
“Gays and lesbians are a tiny
percentage of the population,” Savage
wrote on The Slog, a The Stranger blog. “We
couldn't do this on our own. A majority of the legislators who voted
for same-sex marriage? Straight. The governor who signed the law
making same-sex marriage legal in Washington state? Straight. The
majority of the folks manning the phone banks for R-74? Straight.
The overwhelming majority of people who voted to approve R-74?
Straight. The president who took a huge political risk and came out
for marriage equality before his reelection campaign? Straight.”
“It has gotten better for us because
straight people have gotten better about us.”
“I think some sort of big organized
event is called for – a party, a bash, a celebration. I think we
should thank all the straight people who came through for us in a
big, public way.”
“Because we couldn't have done it
without them,” he added.
(Related: Washington
joins Maine, Maryland in approving gay marriage.)