Soon after New York adopted equal marriage, the Rhode Island legislature passed a civil unions bill that accords gay and lesbian couples all the rights and responsibilities of marriage except the name. The law was adopted as a compromise after a same-sex marriage bill stalled in the state senate. Because the civil unions bill contained expansive religious exemptions, many glbtq activists urged Rhode Island Governor Lincoln Chafee to veto the legislation.

However, on July 2, 2011, Governor Chafee, a supporter of same-sex marriage, signed the civil unions bill into law, defending it as an incremental step toward the goal of marriage equality.

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Victory in Washington

On January 4, 2012, Washington Governor Chris Gregoire announced her intention to introduce marriage equality legislation. In doing so, the Governor also explained the evolution of her personal views of the issue.

In 2004, when she first ran for governor, she endorsed equal rights for gay and lesbian couples, but declared that Washington state was not ready for same-sex marriage. In 2008, when she ran for re-election, she again declined to endorse marriage equality: "To me, the state's responsibility is to absolutely ensure equality. The other is a religious issue, and I leave it to the churches to make that call about marriage."

Now, she said, her views have evolved: "I have been on my own journey. I will admit that. It has been a battle for me with my religion," the Catholic governor said. "I have always been uncomfortable with the position that I have taken publicly. And then I came to realize the religions can decide what they want to do, but it is not ok for the state to discriminate."

Governor Gregoire's bill was passed by both houses of the legislature after several hours of debate. The debate in the House on February 9, 2012 was especially interesting, for several of the legislators referenced their children.

Openly gay Rep. Jamie Pedersen began the debate by saying that he and his partner are grateful for the protections provided by their domestic partnership, but that it is a "pale and inadequate substitute" for marriage.

Pedersen added, "I would like for our four children to grow up understanding that their daddy and their poppa have made that kind of a lifelong commitment to each other. Marriage is the word that we use in our society to convey that idea."

Rep. Phyllis Gutierrez Kenney said she has two sons who are gay. "Both have been subjected to harassment and rejection. This hurt cannot be erased, and some will last with them forever," she said.

Rep. Maureen Walsh, one of only two Republicans to support the bill, told a story about how her daughter stood up for a kid who was being bullied in school because it was the right thing to do. As an adult, her daughter came out of the closet.

At an elaborate signing ceremony on February 13, 2012, Governor Gregoire signed the bill into law. She said today "is a proud day that historians will mark as a milestone for equal rights." She told stories of several people who had contacted her during the debate about same-sex marriage, including a teenage girl who had considered suicide because of the way she was treated because of her sexual orientation, but said the debate had changed her mind.

"With the signing of this bill, Washington is the first state to repeal a so-called Defense of Marriage Act and make marriage available to gay and lesbian families," Pedersen said.

However, opponents of same-sex marriage quickly announced that they would attempt to qualify a referendum to repeal the law. When they turned in sufficient valid signatures in June 2012, the law was suspended pending the outcome of a referendum to beheld during the November 2012 general election.