Gay Marriage Legal in Washington

Seven states and counting...

Yesterday afternoon, Washington state’s Governor Chris Gregoire signed marriage equality into law, making it the seventh state in the nation (in addition to the District of Columbia) to allow same-sex couples to marry. “It is the right step. We have finally said yes to marriage equality,” Gregoire said at the state capitol yesterday. “The sky-will-fall rhetoric is simply not true.”

The governor has been a tireless advocate for marriage equality in her home state, pushing for legislation that would make it legal for same-sex couples to finally tie the knot. It’s expected that the law will officially go into effect on June 7 – making room for plenty of summer weddings in the Evergreen State. The only problem could come if anti-gay activists are able to collect enough signatures to get the issue on the ballot, which means the legislation could fall into the hands of voters.

But support for marriage equality has been widespread, not only coming from Democrats this time around, but also a few Republicans. House Republican Maureen Walsh – who has a gay daughter – was one of the most outspoken in favor of marriage equality during the debates. And in a speech this past week, she talked about her personal convictions and why marriage is important for couples, saying, “When confronted with issues of conscience such as this, I am unable to compromise on what I truly believe is the right thing to do in my heart and in my mind.”

A video of her incredibly eloquent and impassioned speech went viral. Check it out: