The Seattle City Council has approved a
resolution urging voters to approve Referendum 71, the Washington
State ballot measure that puts a gay-inclusive domestic partnership
law up for a vote in November.
On Monday, lawmakers unanimously
approved the resolution that backs the law dubbed the “everything
but marriage” law by the media and passed it to Mayor Greg Nickels,
a supporter of the law.
If passed, Referendum 71 would extend a
2007 domestic partnership law for a second time, granting gay and
lesbian couples all the remaining state-provided rights, benefits and
responsibilities of marriage.
The anti-gay marriage group Protect
Marriage Washington submitted nearly 138,000 signatures on July 25,
which placed on hold the gay partner law that was scheduled to begin
the following day.
Opponents say the domestic partnership
law is unlawful because it violates a 1998 gay marriage ban approved
by legislators and deemed constitutional by the state's Supreme
Court.
Councilman Nick Licata sponsored the
resolution.
This story was tipped to us by the GLBT
blog Pam's House Blend.