SeattlePI:

Former Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum, an outspoken, longstanding critic of gay rights, will appear in Bellevue and Spokane this fall, as ballots that include a same-sex marriage referendum get mailed to Washington voters.

Santorum is slated to speak at events Oct. 9 and 10 sponsored by the Family Policy Institute of Washington, which upholds the “sanctity” of marriage and advocates “lifelong heterosexual monogamous marriage.”

Joseph Backholm, head of the institute, helped put Referendum 74 on the ballot and chairs Preserve Marriage Washington, which is mobilizing the “No” campaign.