Domestic Partnership, Marriage
All committed couples deserve the same legal protections for their relationships. In the past two sessions of the legislature, ACLU-supported legislation passed that grants dozens of rights and responsibilities to registered domestic partners. Included were the right to visit a partner in a nursing home, community property rights, and the right not to testify against one another in court.
But the rights and responsibilities gained by same-sex couples still fall far short of those enjoyed by heterosexual couples who marry. The ACLU supports legislation sponsored by Sen. Ed Murray and Rep. Jamie Pedersen to further expand the rights of domestic partners to include all those available to married couples. Although this legislation is an inadequate substitute for full marriage equality, it represents a significant improvement over the current state of the law.
The ACLU will continue working toward the ultimate goal of full marriage equality for same-sex couples as a matter of fundamental fairness. We support civil marriage bills sponsored by Sen. Ed Murray and Rep. Jim Moeller.
