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Like a lot of Washingtonians, I was holding my breath hoping that Protect Marriage Washington wouldn’t gather enough signatures to put the new domestic partnership law up to a popular vote. But then on September 2nd, the signature count was and so in November, those voters committed enough go to the polls on an off-year election will be asked to vote on whether to approve the domestic partnership law by Washington’s legislature.

As someone who was born and raised in Washington (Olympia, to be specific, the state capital and home of some pretty amazing ), I wanted to help out my home state on efforts to pass the referendum and keep domestic partnerships. Coordinating with the , I began a state-wide search for the domestic partners with the most compelling stories – stories that could educate voters about the important benefits and protections provided by domestic partnerships.

It’s hard not to be moved to support domestic partnerships when you hear , a straight senior couple who live in the far northeast part of the state, talk about how their domestic partnership helps them cope with Rose’s medical issues. It’s hard to question the service gay and lesbian couples provide to our communities when you listen to talk about the six kids they adopted from foster care. And I challenge you not to cry when you hear speak about the uncertainties they face with Cathlin’s cancer treatments.

You can watch videos of more Washington couples here:

If you have friends in Washington, please remind them to vote to Approve Referendum 71 on November 3rd. And if you have a few bucks to spare, please take the opportunity to the Approve Ref. 71 Campaign.

To learn more, visit .