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Wash. Court Upholds Gay Marriage Ban
The 19 gay and lesbian couples who sued to overturn the law were dismayed by the ruling.
"I believe that our constitution should treat all of its citizens the same, and in this case the court was willing to treat my family differently than other families," said Brenda Bauer of Seattle, who sued along with her partner, Celia Castle. "Today's a pretty sad day for our family."
  Jeff Kingsbury, left, and his partner Alan Fuller, look over the Washington State Supreme Court ruling that upheld the state's ban on gay marriage Wednesday, July 26, 2006 at the Capitol in Olympia, Wash. Kingsbury and Fuller, who live in Olympia, Wash., and say they have been a couple for 14 years, were plaintiffs in a lawsuit against the state that led to the ruling. The 5-4 decision leaves Massachusetts as the only state to grant full marriage rights to gay and lesbian couples. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren) (Ted S. Warren - AP) Bench Conference
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Leaders in the Legislature and Gov. Chris Gregoire _ all Democrats _ did not commit themselves to any course of action.
"Just as the public is divided over the issue, so is the Legislature," said Senate Majority Leader Lisa Brown. Gregoire said: "The Supreme Court has ruled, and we must accept their decision whether we agree with it or not."
In Seattle, King County Executive Ron Sims, who backed the push to legalize marriage for same-sex couples, said his next step would be to press for civil unions. They give gay couples many of the rights that come with marriage and are allowed in Vermont and Connecticut.
"There's still hope in the long run," Sims said. "I still dream for a just society."
Forty-five states have laws banning marriage between same-sex couples or limiting marriage to between a man and a woman.
In other recent rulings on the issue, courts reinstated voter-approved bans on gay marriage in Nebraska and Georgia, and Tennessee's Supreme Court ruled that voters there should have a say on allowing marriage for same-sex couples.
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Associated Press writers David Ammons in Olympia and Donna Gordon Blankinship in Seattle contributed to this report.
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