Washington (State)

RICHLAND, Wash. — A florist targeted by two lawsuits for refusing to provide flowers for a same-sex wedding has filed her own lawsuit against Washington state, claiming the state is violating her religious beliefs. [ Read more → ]

OLYMPIA, Wash. — Gov. Jay Inslee this week signed off on the final installment of a six-year effort to make language in Washington state's copious laws gender-neutral. [ Read more → ]

OLYMPIA, Wash. - Several Republican lawmakers filed a bill Thursday seeking an exemption to the state's anti-discrimination laws just weeks after legal action was taken against a Richland florist who denied service to a gay couple for their upcoming wedding. [ Read more → ]

KENT, Wash. -- Police in Kent, Wash., say they have arrested a man who used popular gay dating and cell phone apps to set up dates with gay men at remote locations and then robbed them at gunpoint. [ Read more → ]

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) said Wednesday it is representing a Kennewick, Wash., gay couple in seeking remedies from a florist that discriminated against them by refusing to provide flowers for their wedding. [ Read more → ]

OLYMPIA, Wash. -- The Washington state Attorney General has filed a consumer protection lawsuit against a florist who refused to provide flowers for the wedding of a same-sex couple. [ Read more → ]

SEATTLE — A former Seattle city councilwoman who announced last summer that she was gay and said she wanted to encourage others to tell their loved ones the truth has died at age 66. [ Read more → ]

RICHLAND Wash. -- A flower shop in Washington state has refused to provide flowers for the wedding of a gay couple, who had been using her services for years, because or her "relationship with Jesus Christ." [ Read more → ]

WASHINGTON – A new report released Tuesday by Freedom to Marry and Third Way, found that state legislators who vote in favor of marriage for same-sex couples overwhelmingly win voter support when running for reelection. [ Read more → ]

CHICAGO -- The aircraft manufacturing giant Boeing said Friday that it has altered its policies on providing survivor pension benefits to same-sex couples during negotiations with union representatives this week. During extensive contract negotiations last November, Boeing executives told the union negotiators that since pensions... [ Read more → ]

OLYMPIA, Wash. -- A Superior Court judge in Washington states said he refuses to officiate same-sex marriage due to his “philosophical and religious reasons." “I do not wish to perform same-sex marriages," said Thurston County Superior Court Judge Gary Tabor. [caption id="attachment_72435" align="alignright" width="300"] Gary... [ Read more → ]

The number of contributors who gave in support of marriage for gay and lesbian couples was thirteen times greater – about 133,000 compared to an estimated 10,500 - than those giving financial resources to oppose marriage equality, according to an analysis by the Human Rights Campaign of donors to the four states with marriage equality on the ballot this year. [ Read more → ]

Washington state's historic marriage equality law took effect Sunday, and beginning just one minute past the stroke of midnight, the first same-sex couple took their vows. [ Read more → ]

When the first same-sex weddings in Washington state commence on Sunday, among them will be Seattle-area residents Larry Duncan and Randell Shepherd. [ Read more → ]

At just one minute after midnight Thursday, Washington state began issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couple, becoming the first of three states to do so in the coming weeks after voters approved marriage equality measures on Nov. 6. [ Read more → ]

OLYMPIA, Wash. -- Washington Gov. Chris Gregoire on Wednesday certified the state's election result, and in doing so signed into law a measure that legalizes same-sex marriage in Washington state. [ Read more → ]

The Boeing Company this week told union negotiators that it intends to deny pension survivor benefits to married same-sex couples, even though Washington State voters approved a marriage equality law earlier this month, according to a report in The Stranger. [ Read more → ]

A Christian legal group on Monday sent a memorandum to marriage officials in the three states where gay marriage was legalized in last week's elections, advising them they "do not have to violate their faith or conscience by personally issuing licenses to applicants who are of the same sex." [ Read more → ]

The Roman Catholic Church hierarchy funneled $2 million into entirely unsuccessful efforts to advance discrimination against LGBT people in the four marriage ballot states of Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, and Washington this election cycle, according to a report by the Human Rights Campaign. [ Read more → ]

OLYMPIA, Wash. -- State Sen. Ed Murray (D-Seattle) will become just the second openly LGBT person to lead a state senate chamber after his Democratic colleagues on Tuesday night chose him as majority leader of the Washington State Senate. [ Read more → ]