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marriage
Revolutionary Spirit
that said “Marriage. One Man. One
Woman.” Others wore stickers that read
“Washington United for Marriage,” a group
that announced in November that it was
forming a coalition to support same-sex
marriage legislation.
Democratic Sen. Ed Murray, a gay law-
maker from Seattle who has led the push for
gay civil rights and domestic partnerships,
testified before the Government Operations,
Tribal Relations & Elections Committee
with his longtime partner, Michael Shiosa-
ki.
“I have waited 17 years to ask this body to
consider marriage equality for gay and les-
bian families,” said Murray, who is spon-
soring the Senate bill. “I realize the issue of
marriage for our families is emotional and
divisive. It touches what each of us holds
most dear, our families.”
Opponents argued that the measure goes
against traditional marriage and the Bible.
“You are saying as a committee and a
Legislature that you know better than God,”
said Ken Hutcherson, pastor of Antioch
Bible Church.
The National Organization for Marriage
issued a statement Monday morning pledg-
ing a referendum campaign to fight any gay
marriage law at the ballot. Last week, the
group announced that it would spend
$250,000 to help fund primary challenges to
any Republican who crosses party lines to
vote for same-sex marriage in Washington
state. So far, two Republicans in the Senate,
and two in the House have said they would
vote in support of gay marriage.
Gay marriage has won the backing of sev-
eral prominent Pacific Northwest business-
es, including Microsoft Corp. and NIKE,
Inc., and last week a conservative Democrat
who once opposed same-sex marriage said
PHOtO by SuSan FrieD
continued from page 1
lacy Steele, Jacqueline Jones-Walsh, Oscar eason, Tony Orange, Bob Barnes, larry Gossett, Dorlie Rainey and eddie
Rye Jr. received plaques acknowledging their many years of activism in the Seattle community at the 30th
anniversary Celebration of martin luther King’s Birthday at Garfield high School. all the recipients except Dorlie
Rainey were instrumental in starting Seattle’s annual mlK Celebration. Despite inclement weather this year’s theme,
Recapturing mlK’s Revolutionary Spirit, brought out hundreds of people to the popular annual event which included
workshops, a rally and a march down icy streets to the Federal Building.
he will now vote for it.
The state House is widely expected to
have enough support to pass gay marriage,
and Gov. Chris Gregoire publicly endorsed
the proposal earlier this month.
The state Senate is now just one vote shy
of having the 25 votes needed to approve
the bill, with a half-dozen lawmakers
remaining uncommitted.
In October, a University of Washington
poll found that an increasing number of
people in the state support same-sex mar-
riage. About 43 percent of respondents said
they support gay marriage, up from 30 per-
cent in the same poll five years earlier.
Another 22 percent said they support giving
identical rights to gay couples but just not
calling it marriage.
When asked how they would vote if a ref-
erendum challenging a gay marriage law
was on the ballot, 55 percent said they
would vote yes to uphold the law, with 47
percent of them characterized as “strongly”
yes, and 38 percent responded “no,” that
they would vote to reject a gay marriage
law.
If a marriage bill were passed during this
legislative session, gay and lesbian couples
would be able to get married starting in June
unless opponents file a referendum to chal-
lenge it at the ballot.
cance in Toppenish, which is about 75 per-
cent Hispanic. Latinas have the highest teen
pregnancy and birth rate among any major
racial or ethnic minority.
In the top 5 percent of her class,
Rodriguez participated in a leadership class
and lectured her friends about safe sex. But
also becoming a teen mom were way high-
er than average,’’ she wrote. ``If I gave peo-
ple what they predicted, how would they
react?’’
The profile of teen moms has changed in
recent years. Kids on shows like MTV’s
``Teen Mom’’ and ``16 and Pregnant’’ have
``It’s something we have to be very aware
of. I wish we could have more information
on that in schools — and if parents don’t
want that, they should be more open about
it,’’ she said. ``In my home, my mom was
always open with me about it, and I’m
absolutely glad that she was.’’
After her grand revealing, a student who
was pregnant told Rodriguez she was glad
she had taken on the project.
``She was so proud of me,’’ Rodriguez
said of the girl, now a senior. ``Because it
showed how much she had to struggle and I
gave her the inspiration to move forward
and inspire her child now.’’
If anything, Rodriguez believes that
should be the biggest message from her
experience: Things will definitely be OK.
``It’s not the end of the road for them,’’
she said. ``It’s going to be harder, but it’s
not the end of the road.’’
Teen
continued from page 1
three daughters got pregnant as teenagers
and two sons got their girlfriends pregnant.
Teen pregnancy was practically a family
tradition, said Rodriguez.
``It’s hard to understand why they didn’t
learn from each other; I guess they all need-
ed to make their own mistakes,’’ she wrote
in the book. ``They have great kids, but it’s
never easy to have children before you’re
even fully grown yourself.’’
Her mother, Juana, said it was difficult to
share her story so openly.
``There are a lot of women who go
through stuff like that and they prefer to try
to forget it, but sometimes it’s better to get
it out,’’ she said, adding that the story was
an important part of understanding Gaby,
who was born later and has a different
father.
``A lot of people were making comments,
`How could she do that?’ without really
knowing. They needed to know.’’
The experiment took on particular signifi-
‘It’s never easy to have children before you’re
even fully grown yourself.’
-- Gaby Rodriguez
she still heard the refrain — often from
members of her own family — that she’d
end up just like her sisters.
``Being a Hispanic girl from a family full
of teen pregnancies meant that my odds of
taken spots alongside movie stars on maga-
zine covers. Now 18 and a student at
Columbia Basin College studying psychol-
ogy, Rodriguez said she doesn’t condone
teen pregnancy.
library
continued from page 1
residents provided input to the Library
through a survey, open houses, citywide
meetings and focus groups in 2010.
Patrons also will learn more about the
Library budget and alternatives for helping
stabilize funding to support Library servic-
es now and into the future. Budget reduc-
tions have resulted in resource and service
cuts and a possible levy is being explored.
“With the 1998 Libraries for All building
renewal program, we made sure our Library
facilities were up-to-date and able to sup-
Budget reductions have resulted in resource
and service cuts and a possible levy is being
explored
port Library programs and users,” Library
Board President Marie McCaffrey said.
“Now we are entering the next phase of
bringing the Libraries for All vision to life –
extending our reach through improved
operating hours, books and materials avail-
able in different formats and expanded dig-
ital access.”
Turner and Library Board members will
be present at the meetings to listen to the
public. “The public drives everything we do
and we want patrons to be involved in help-
ing shape Library services, now and for the
next generation,” Turner said.
For more information or to share your
thoughts online, visit www.spl.org and
select “Libraries for All: A Plan for the Pres-
ent, A Foundation for the Future,” or call
206-386-4636.
January 25, 2012 The Seattle Skanner Page 3