FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: February 2, 2012
Contact: Anath Hartmann or Elizabeth Ray (703-683-5004)

Washington residents don't support same-sex marriage

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Brian Brown, the president of the National Organization for Marriage (NOM), today responded to the Washington state Senate's passage of a same-sex marriage bill. The move brings Washington one step closer to becoming the seventh state to redefine marriage, a move in the wrong direction for the United States.

"As was recently demonstrated in a statewide survey we released, the people of Washington state do not support same-sex marriage," said Brian Brown. "The same activists behind this legislation were barely able to secure passage of civil unions and now they're back demanding that marriage be redefined. It's outrageous. NOM believes the people of Washington deserve to decide this issue for themselves, and we are committed to helping mount a referendum campaign to overturn the law if it is enacted, just as we did in Maine and California."

Thirty-one states have voted on the marriage issue and all have rejected same-sex marriage and reaffirmed their desire to maintain marriage as the union of one man and one woman. This includes traditionally deep-blue states like Maine and California. Maine voters passed a referendum that rejected legislation to redefine marriage, and California passed an initiative to end gay marriage and restore traditional marriage. NOM was the largest contributor to both efforts.

"Washington legislators may think it's politically fashionable to follow Hollywood over the cliff, but they will soon learn there are consequences to their actions," Brown said. "Maine voters vetoed their gay marriage law and then a year later threw the legislators out of office. In Iowa, voters kicked three judges off their state Supreme court for deciding to impose same-sex marriage. And in New Hampshire, voters also ended the careers of legislators who voted for gay marriage. The same thing will happen in Washington state."

The National Organization will work with allies in Washington to qualify a referendum to overturn the law, just as it did in Maine and California.

To schedule an interview with Brian Brown, President of the National Organization for Marriage, please contact Elizabeth Ray (x130), [email protected], or Anath Hartmann,[email protected], at 703-683-5004.

Paid for by The National Organization for Marriage, Brian Brown, president.
2029 K Street NW, Suite 300 Washington, DC 20006, not authorized by any candidate or
candidate's committee. New § 68A.405(1)(f) & (h).

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