Posted by Kate Riley

“Today a core liberty that touches thousands of Northwest families — the right of same-sex couples to marry — is in the hands of Washington voters,” the Herald wrote in its editorial. “It’s time for Washington to side with equality, to follow the lead of Gov. Gregoire and the Legislature and legalize same-sex marriage.”

It’s routine for newspaper editorial boards to make recommendations to their readers about candidates and ballot measures.

But less usual is the impassioned R-74 endorsement by Kent Hickey, president of a Catholic school, Seattle Prep, who characterizes himself as a social conservative. In his blog, he writes:

The US Catholic Bishops asserted in “Always our Children” that “God does not love someone any less simply because he or she is homosexual.” Pope Benedict recently described relationships within the Church as being primarily familial. But words need to be lived if they are to be true. One way to conserve our house is to embrace all of our family members. Let’s build a bigger, more welcoming home instead of making God’s gay kids live in a shed out back.

The other editorial boards that have endorsed Referendum 74 are:

The Seatttle Times
The News Tribune, in Tacoma
The Spokesman-Review, in Spokane
The Columbian, in Vancouver
The Walla Walla Union-Bulletin (which is part of The Seattle Times company)
The Olympian

Meantime, thank you to everyone who is participating in The Seattle Times “I do” campaign to support Referendum 74. We now have well more than 220 photos of people who have taken pictures of themselves or themselves with their spouse, partner, family, church or political group and the “I do” sign the Times printed in the paper on Sept. 16 or downloaded from our website. (It’s not too late to send in your own.)

As one who honors love in all its forms and a supporter of diversity, THE WEDDING GENTLEMAN applauds these community leaders in their support of same sex marriage.

Francis Michael Lee
Wedding Officiant & Non-denominational Minister

Celebrating Couples in Love through Personalized Ceremony
email: francis@theweddinggentleman.com
on the web at: www.theweddinggentleman.com
cell (425) 770-9243