The University of Idaho Argonaut

Washington voters should approve Referendum 71

Washington state’s Referendum 71 will uphold or repeal Washington’s “everything-but-marriage” bill, signed by Governor Christine Gregoire in May which expanded domestic partnership rights.

The referendum effort was instigated by the Washington Values Alliance to overturn SB 5688, which grants registered domestic partners in Washington all rights, responsibilities and obligations granted by or imposed by state law on married couples.

The referendum is not like last year’s Proposition 8 in California, which repealed same-sex marriage in that state. A domestic partnership is not a marriage. This referendum does not allow marriages to be performed, but rather extends the rights of married people to unmarried people.

This measure should be viewed as a compromise in the ongoing same-sex marriage debate. Homosexuals are granted all the same privileges of married couples, while the institution of marriage is left unchanged. Voting to approve the referendum and keep the law in place is crucial as it keeps much needed civil rights reform in place.

It is to be noted that the bill does not exclusively cater to homosexuals. Heterosexual couples — where at least one member is 62 years old — are also allowed to enter into domestic partnerships.

It is a rare occurrence that people try to take away the validation of a heterosexual couple’s relationship, and homosexuals and others deserve the same courtesy.

The referendum is not about love. It is not about religious beliefs or sexual orientation. It is about human equality that should not be trampled at the hands of others.