Beaverton, Oregon Mayor Denny Doyle on
Thursday became the 300th mayor to pledge support for the
legalization of gay marriage.
Doyle, now in his second term, signed
on to the group Mayors for the Freedom to Marry, which launched last
year with 80 mayors.
“Beaverton is a diverse, welcoming
community that respects and supports marriage equality,” said
Doyle. “What a wonderful valentine to send from Beaverton!”
The announcement comes on the same day
supporters in Oregon began collecting signatures for a 2014 ballot
initiative seeking to overturn the state's constitutional amendment
limiting marriage to heterosexual unions.
(Related: Oregon
gay marriage supporters want 2014 referendum.)
Evan Wolfson, founder and president of
Freedom to Marry, called the group's growth “inspiring.”
“It is truly inspiring to see Mayors
for the Freedom to Marry to grow as so many of our cities' leaders
come together to make the case for marriage as good for the families,
businesses and communities they know and serve. Mayors are in a
unique position to make the case for marriage, and are accessible and
responsive to the constituents and communities they serve, making
them super-strong advocates for ending marriage discrimination and
helping state and federal lawmakers and judges do the right thing.
Freedom to Marry is proud of the way in which the mayors' leadership
has encouraged people across the country to take action to help
enlist their own mayors in the cause.”