Good news from the Pacific Northwest: a bill to legalize same-sex marriage has passed in the state senate, it has good prospects in the house, and the governor will sign it if it lands on her desk. Expect the state to join the ranks of those that respect their citizens equally very soon now.
And then there’s a poll; a strange and revealing poll. A large number of state businesses support gay marriage, so King5 media had to ask if that’s all right with you.
More than 100 companies are supporting gay marriage in Washington. What’s your reaction?
will never buy their products again 14%
I won’t buy most products, but some I can’t live without 5%
I am more likely to buy their products 45%
It won’t change my buying habits 36%
It’s a very odd poll. The list of companies includes places like the Seattle Tattoo Expo and Seattle Gay News; I would think a lot of the people favoring gay marriage might see no need to change their buying habits, so that last category isn’t at all indicative of much of anything. The only answer that seems to have any significance is the first one — the people who won’t buy coffee or salmon from businesses that support equality are nasty creatures, but I can see reasonable arguments for all three of the other choices.
It’s sad to read some of the mean comments on that article
I’m glad there is some good news today. I’m in such a miserable mood today I really needed that. THX.
Now back to hating everything again…
I liked that poll so much I voted five times.
Starbucks, Microsoft, and Google are on that list. I don’t think that 14% have thought this through…
Heard this on NPR news this morning:
It might have been politically necessary, but I’m afraid Mr. Murray is wrong about that. Bigotry is the only reason to oppose marriage equality. However the opponents try to weasel out of admitting it, the comments on the poll and elsewhere make clear that bigotry is the only motivation they have.
Republican Senator Dan Swecker argued that the proposed law would “lead to the silencing of those who believe in traditional marriage”.
Is that a promise?
Just once I would like to hear a coherent explanation of how this works.
“silencing”
Well, if they realize they’re wrong and/or alone in their beliefs, they might decide to shut up about them. Can’t have that.
Meanwhile, in Indiana, the state senate approves a witch hunting bill, a bill that forces doctors to use leech therapy before applying modern medical techniques and a bill that will force science teachers to add geocentrism to their curriculum.
Reding the comments on the article made me sad. A little disappointed in my fellow Washingtonians this morning.
I am, however, pleased by our legislature for passing this.
Now, we just need to get ourselves ready for the referendum that is no doubt coming. Time to get my activisim on. Again.
Loud, obnoxious, politically active and queer, I remain,
KJ
Is it just me, or is the poll no longer there at that link?
Comments very sad. Also the bit in the article where it was going on about how “This legislation will create a hostile environment for those that believe in traditional marriage,” said State Senator Dan Swecker (R-Rochester).
I mean WTF? They’re complaining about a hostile environment. They haven’t lived a hostile environment.
Icouldn’t find the poll either, so it’s not just you.
Yes, it appears that the poll has been removed from the article. The editor probably didn’t like the results he was seeing.
Couldn’t find the poll either. Comments were worth the Lulz though. It is reassuring to find that my state (Louisiana) is not the only batshit crazy one.
Yes it seems the poll is gone. Damn. Then again, I wouldn’t have liked to see the comments; for all the progressive nature of my state we still have things like the Discovery Institute, Mars Hill Church, and, well, most of my half of the state. Here’s hoping the opposition can’t manage the signatures, putting it on the ballot is simply wrong, you shouldn’t get to vote on civil rights. Sadly though they probably could get them if they get off their behinds fast enough…
This is a wonderful step forward. I am reasonably sure that it will go to referendum though. I have no doubt that the bigots in WA will be able to find at least 120,000+ other bigots willing to sign on. It will be interesting to see how the state votes as a whole. Ultimately, of course, this issue is going to have to be decided by the Supreme Court. A patchwork of state laws simply won’t work. This is a civil right, goddammit!
IMHFO (and dreams) Kennedy will vote with the 4 (more)liberal justices not only because it’s the right thing to do but also because it will secure his legacy with the Court. They could all vote for marriage equality but somehow I doubt it.
The comments weren’t as awful as I thought they might be. Still, the stupid, it burns! But, then, it always does.
The poll is confusing, because even the relevant question on it, the meter by which we might gauge how many bigots there are, fails utterly in quantifying how committed those bigots are to their righteous cause (hatred, of course). That’s a long list. As someone in the comments on the poll’s article pointed out, will the bigots print out or memorise the list for future reference? It seems like hypocrisy is their only out.
Hey! Here’s a good question: Can hypocrisy (I think a scale of hypocrisy might be necessary) be a measure of how wrong someone’s position is? That would be an interesting test! It could also make for good realty television, if you’re into that sort of thing. There could be a show about exposing bigots. Just wait outside of the Apple Store and interview the shoppers. Bigots-Beware. It has a certain ring to it …
Woo hoo! Washington!
I don’t know how anyone can argue for that bullshit of “the sanctity of marriage” with a straight face anymore. I mean, look at MA– they’ve had marriage equality for years now and haven’t once faced a plague of frogs or roving bands of Ghey Enforcers™ splitting up heterosexual couples and forcing them to gay marry their pet goldfish or whateverthefuck.
Get over it, bigots. You are finally starting to lose this fight.
Another Liar for Jesus™. If anything the whiners will become louder.
I fucking hope so. I hope it leads to silencing and persecution against them.
Imagine the head asplode that would accompany a Christian fundamentalist being right for the first time in his or her miserable existence. Get rid of more of them at a fell swoop than their vaunted rapture.
Sanctity of marriage – yeah right!
These fools have Gingrich running for the GOP nomination with how many failed marriages behind him (due entirely to HIS cheating ways), and Romney running on the ‘as many wives as you want’ ticket, although to be fair it is strange that the polygamist is the only candidate with just the one wife in his life (so far).
The right to marriage is, or should be, a civil and human right available to every citizen, regardless of anything else. Now one or two objectors wrote about people wanting to marry animals coming next, but I am fairly sure that only homo sapiens sapiens qualifies for citizenship of the United States of America, so that ain’t even possible.
Not so many years ago I remember similar BS about gays serving in the British Army. During my service being found out as a homosexual meant jail time and dishonorable discharge as absolute certainties, so when the subject came up there were all the same arguments raised about ‘teh gheys molesting straight soljas in teh showahs’. Oddly after 10+ years now nothing bad seems to have happened there either (and there have still been no incidents of members of the Brigade of Guards humping one another during the Trooping of the Colours in front of the queen either).
Every time I find myself in the drive through at Chick Fil-A I feel torn. Chick Fil-A is a horribly bigotted company, but their food is so damn good.
I justify my craving for their spicy chicken sandwich and those awesome waffle fries by convincing myself that I am judging the company by its product and not its ideology.
I mean, boycotting the company for its stance on social issues is what we are saying is bad, right?
@22 “…(and there have still been no incidents of members of the Brigade of Guards humping one another during the Trooping of the Colours in front of the queen either).”
Now there’s a shame.
You won’t catch me defending Mitt Romney or Mormonism often, but we should be true to the facts. The Mormon Church renounced polygamy in 1895 at the request of Congress when the Utah Territory applied for statehood. Only a few tiny splinter groups still (illegally) practise polygamy and they are not condoned by the church. And as you mentioned, as far as we know, Mitt Romney has been a consistently faithful husband, unlike his principal rival.
amstrad #23
I dunno, are we saying that?
I don’t see the poll. Am I missing something?
Fuck it. It doesn’t matter if we were. Chick-fil-a discriminates against people. The companies in Washington were supporting and END to discrimination.
Try making an honest comparison next time.
Aquaria, the poll seems to have magically vanished. It has been argued that the poll wasn’t going the way that website wanted.
I was bummed the pool was gone, but heartened by what appears to be many Pharygulists commenting. Keep it up! Though it may take slight steps back (DOMAs, for one) society always marches forward toward MORE freedom and MORE inclusion. In 10 or 20 years we’ll look back and wonder why we even had this debate.
Scottplumer, gosh I hope not. Sure, it’ll be nice for the debate to seem queer from a future vantage point, and I really do understand what’s meant by that clichéd statement, but I really hope that no one literally wonders why this debate was ever had.
It’s extraordinarily important that the past is remembered, that there is a context to it and that we (though I’m no American) don’t forget how we get to whatever state we’re at in the future.
___
I’m so unsurprised that the poll has disappeared. Not only were the comments rather warm, the poll was being rightly questioned. Perhaps the authors realised, albeit belatedly, the spotlight the poll would put on bigots? And perhaps they learned that bigots aren’t going to be applauded as they have been so in the past? Or the poll just wasn’t going like they wanted. Still, I am heartened that bigotry just won’t be put up with anymore; it’s being called what it is.
Sometimes I forget how stupid some members of the general public can be.
An AP report said that the amendments to the bill included “new protections for religious groups.” As a Washington resident, I’m concerned as to what these might be.
The poll has been taken down but a new article here says:
“In a non-scientific poll on KING5.com, 12 percent of people said they would never buy products again from a company that supported same-sex marriage, while 51 percent said they were more likely to buy products from those companies. Thirty-three percent said it would make no difference in their buying habits.”
So I’m not sure they took it down because they didn’t like the results.
I slouch corrected. Thanks for that information, gaspode.
For years I steadfastly boycotted Chik-Fil-A for their homophobic assholery. But that just seemed so harsh and mean. So I’ve allowed myself to relax my boycott for one day a week: Sunday.
amstrad #23
No, I think we’re saying that boycotting companies for being decent is stupid and bad.
Of course I’m delighted to see the majority of my representative’s acting like decent human beings.
But this will inevitably lead to a constitutional amendment on the ballot to ban same-sex marriage. I don’t know if I trust my fellow Washingtonians in this matter.
Then again, that’s the upside to being a pessimist. When I’m wrong, something good is usually happening.
Gaspode, thanks for that info.